


The Fire Of Godly Devotion

by ID_Locke



Category: Divine Worship World - Fandom, Original Work
Genre: Come Inflation, Dragon/Elf sex, M/M, inseminator, quasi-fisting
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-17
Updated: 2019-09-17
Packaged: 2020-10-20 19:49:56
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 17
Words: 125,182
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20680967
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ID_Locke/pseuds/ID_Locke
Summary: Edenlei, Geomancer of Saraf, loves his God, Saraf, Serves Saraf faithfully as his Geomancer and is very devout in his faith. Edenlei also desires Saraf, frequently pleasuring himself to orgasm while thinking of his god. Having sex with Saraf is his most secret fantasy and one he believes will never happen beyond the confines of his mind. A beautiful, divine being like Saraf would never look twice at a man as plain and bookish as Edenlei regardless of how devout he is.Saraf, God of the Primal Flame, Lord of Metallic Dragons, has been listening to and deeply appreciating the erotic prayers of his Geomancer, Edenlei, for six years. The time has come to answer those prayers, unintentional as he's sure they've been. Edenlei definitely wants him based on his prayers but can he accept all that Saraf is; God and Dragon?





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is a story set in my Divine Worship World. There are some guest appearances by other Gods in this work that have their own stories (some posted already, some still in the WIP phase). This story is complete, a stand-alone that can be read in any order from other works in this World and the characters in it may make their own guest appearances in other works.
> 
> For those keeping track, the events of this story take place after The Serpent's Tail, Beloved Destiny Trilogy, Fate Of The Abyss Series, Metamorphosis/The Dire Heart, Freedom Run and The Absolute Series. It also happens before Sheathing The Sword and Soul Purpose. If anybody wants an actual timeline of all stories, let me know in comments and I can do that for clarity.

** Chapter 1 **

~Edenlei~

The smooth stones under my knees heaved violently and tossed me to my side, wrenching me from my daily devotions to Lord Saraf, God of Primal Flame and Lord of Metallic Dragons. The ground shivered and heaved for several long seconds before it more or less settled, small quivers still making the ground jiggle under me. Birds shrieked and flew from the trees at the disturbance. Dogs barked furiously as people shouted and screamed, panic in their voices. Quakes were fairly common because of how close my people lived to Goshuwa, an active volcano. However, that didn’t mean it wasn’t frightening to have one happen under your feet, especially one as large as what just happened.

Most instances of the ground trembling under our feet were minor and usually ignored. What just happened was something else entirely though. That was a serious earth movement. I hadn’t had any knowledge of the coming quake, which was strange. None of the other Geomancers of Saraf had said anything either about feeling serious shifts in the earth that would’ve told us a quake of substantial size was coming. To surprise Geomancers with earth movement like what was happening had never happened before as far as I knew. Being able to feel the tiny subtle movements of the various elements was our Gift as Geomancers of Saraf. Something very strange was happening with Goshuwa.

I could now feel the disruption within the earth burning over my Geomancer senses. That had been no ordinary pay-no-mind quake like we usually had. I was convinced it wasn’t due to natural causes because I would’ve known about it well before it happened if it was natural. I cautiously sent a little magic into the ground searching for the cause of the large quake and was nearly knocked to my back from the raw power surging and rolling underground. Alarm sent my blood rushing through my veins. I needed to tell someone the quake was more than just a violent earth movement.

Magma was boiling up from the depths of the caldera of Goshuwa like nothing I’d ever felt before. Fine, I was still young as far as being a full-fledged Geomancer, but I’d been able to feel the subtle movements and shifts of the elements for well over a decade. I feared Goshuwa was about to erupt on a massive scale judging by the staggering power I’d accidently touched. That large of a power spike was beyond even the combined abilities of all the Geomancers of Saraf to control. To stop a volcanic eruption of that size required the power of a god. Our god, Saraf.

I stumbled out of the open-air part of the temple where I’d been praying, my steps unsure as the ground danced a new furious jig under me. I looked up at the volcano, my eyes widening at what I saw. A thick column of dark grey smoke rose what looked like hundreds of feet into the air. As I stared, a boom sounded that was loud enough to make my ears hurt and a wall of hot air slammed into me, making me stagger against one of the large wood columns of the outer temple. The ground rumbled again and a loud hiss sounded followed seconds later by an agonized scream that sent a chill down my spine. A cloud of white billowed into the air a block away from where I stood and a wave of much too-hot air flowed over me again making my skin tighten uncomfortably. Fire streaked across the sky just before another intense boom shook the air. More dark grey smoke spewed from the caldera of the volcano.

Despite the heat of the day I felt ice cold as my fears about Goshuwa violently erupting became a terrifying reality.

Goshuwa had been gently erupting for much longer than I’d been alive. Records of our enclave said it had been active for slightly more than seven hundred years. The lava that flowed out at a steady but slow pace blanketed the other side of the volcano as it made its way to the sea, gradually increasing the land mass of the small island we called home. It was mildly dangerous to live where we did, but it was also the closest we could be to the current seat of Lord Saraf, our god. As a people we felt the risk was worth the rewards to be so close to our god. We were Fire Elves and to be close to Lord Saraf, despite the danger, was simply where we were meant to be.

Lord Saraf, God of Primal Flame and Lord of Metallic Dragons gave us fertile lands to grow our crops, temperate weather from the heat of Goshuwa and a beautiful, secluded place to live our lives surrounded by plentiful fruit trees, soft black sand beaches and water always the perfect temperature for swimming and teeming with fish to eat. All he asked in return was our faith and offerings of beauty. Whether those offerings were finely carved statues or exquisitely perfect shells from the ocean didn’t seem to matter as long as the offering was given freely in faith and love. Saraf was a benevolent god for the most part as long as one didn’t stir his anger. Once angered, he was a fiercesome destructive force. I’d never seen that myself but the stories told and written on ancient scrolls were legendary.

“Edenlei, thank the gods I found you so quickly. You need to come with me right now.”

I turned my head to see Fanji, a Priest of Saraf, and my best friend. He was a year older than my twenty-one years and we’d gone through our acolyte training together. Fanji’s chosen path was to devote his life to Saraf to become one of His Priests. I was a Geomancer, one who reads the signs of the elements and manipulates the elements for the benefit and safety of our people. I still served Saraf but to a far lesser degree than a Priest. An alarm bell belatedly started ringing somewhere, adding to the panic of the people running and shouting in fright through the streets.

“Come where? We need to get people to safety. Goshuwa is erupting and it’s going to be very, very big. I’ve never felt anything this powerful. The energy in the ground is all weird, too, and almost knocked me on my ass from the power surge when I sent out a tiny test probe.”

Fanji swore softly. “The Elder Priests were in their weekly conference when the big quake hit. They sent those of us attending them to find all the other Priests, Geomancers and Clerics and gather everyone for a group prayer to Lord Saraf. I know you want to help others get to safety but we have to go now to do this while there’s still a chance to have a large group prayer heard by Lord Saraf. Contacting him and begging him for protection is our best bet at safety for everyone.”

A great cracking noise filled the air and a fissure split the street open wide enough to be visible half a block away. A fountain of lava gushed high into the air from the fissure before splattering down in a wide arc. The palm frond roofs of the nearby businesses immediately burst into flames from not only the lava but the intense heat it generated. The heat from the released magma whooshed over me and Fanji, making us cough as we breathed in the hot air. My skin felt overly tight and like every drop of moisture had been quickly sucked out of it. A strange whistling sound grated over my ears followed by a loud crash as a flaming rock punched through the wood supports and tightly woven walls of another business not more than ten feet from where Fanji and I stood. Fanji swore again, grabbed my hand and dragged me after him as he ran back into the temple.

“We can help our people by praying as a group to get Lord Saraf to stop the volcano from destroying us all,” Fanji said over his shoulder as he ran through the maze of inner corridors with me in tow. “You’re one of the strongest Geomancer we have and probably have the best shot at getting Lord Saraf’s attention with your prayers. You’ve actually twice given him your offerings directly. None of the Elder Priests have done that even once. They say Lord Saraf must find you interesting to have shown himself to you like he has and to have given you a blessing.”

What Fanji said was sort of true although I privately thought having the attention of our god was more an accidental thing than me being head and shoulders above everyone else. Not that anyone believed me when I said that. I could swear up and down for hours on end but nobody, not even Fanji, believed me when I said I’d quite literally fallen into Saraf while out looking for a suitable offering for him.

I had no skills when it came to making things like carvings or vases or paintings. I couldn’t write a poem or song if my life depended on it. The less said about my baking attempts, the better. The only moderately useful skill I seemed to have was tied to my Geomancer ability. I was always able to find unique natural objects that already possessed beauty suitable to give as an offering to a god.

I’d been out on one of my weekly quests to find something to offer Saraf when I’d slipped off the massive fallen tree I’d been standing on as I’d reached for an exquisite flower growing from a sheltered hollow just above my head. I’d landed sprawled on top of the very god that I was getting the flower for, my fall knocking us both to the ground. I’d known instantly who I was pressed chest to groin with. There was no mistaking Saraf for anything mortal and I had seen enough paintings and statues to recognize him immediately.

In person, he was the most beautiful creature I’d ever seen and all the statues and paintings I’d seen of him truly didn’t do him justice. Fine, he was a god and it was more or less expected that he would be gorgeous, but there was something beyond his being a god that made him beautiful. Or at least I thought so and it wasn’t simply because I was one of his Chosen either. He was just that breathtaking.

Saraf had skin the colour of dark ash, long, silky hair in shades of red, orange and gold that reminded me of the shifting colours of a fire. His eyes were reddish-brown, the colour seeming to dance in his irises like living flames. He had a vertical third eye in his forehead, said to be a gift of his dragon father, and the entire eye was a beautiful metallic golden-orange colour with a slit pupil.

His right arm was a thing of elegance and another gift from his dragon father. Large golden scales travelled up his arm from his wrist to just past his elbow and what looked like a raised, stylized dragon design was on his bicep. His fingernails had more than a hint of dragon claws to them, too, and the claws of his fingers were a lustrous gold. I thought his dragon arm was a wondrous thing of beauty and after seeing the real one for myself, as skilled as our artisans were, regardless of the quality of the materials they used, they couldn’t do justice to the reality of it no matter how hard they tried.

There were statues of all sizes of Saraf scattered through the temple from delicate, highly detailed miniatures that easily fit in the palm of my hand, to life-size ones of exquisite beauty, to works of art twenty feet high carved from solid stone. My favourite was a life-size statue semi-reclining on an over-sized throne in an out of the way corner of one of the temple gardens. The statue was likely supposed to show Saraf at ease but I thought the expression on his carved faced was erotic, as if he was thinking naughty thoughts and was getting ready to act on them.

I’d probably spent more time than I should have tracing my fingers over the warm stone of his dragon arm, marveling at it and wondering what it really felt like. I also wondered what it would feel like wrapped around me, holding me tight to him. I’d secretly sat in the lap of that statue more times than I probably should’ve, wriggling my ass against the discrete stone bulge between the statue’s legs and wishing I was sitting in Saraf’s lap for real. I knew I harboured highly inappropriate, very intimate thoughts about my god but I couldn’t seem to help myself. He was intensely attractive to me as male and imagining him moving between my thighs was my favourite fantasy and incredibly erotic. Reaching orgasm while thinking of Saraf was almost always accomplished embarrassingly fast.

I’d scrambled off the real Saraf that I’d fallen onto, knelt and bowed my head immediately, offering him the gift of the flower I’d somehow managed to pluck before falling. Amazingly, I avoided crushing it when I landed on my god. I wanted to apologize for touching him without permission and literally dropping into his lap but I could seem to get any words past my lips. I’d thought my heart was either going to stop in shock or hammer right out of my chest when he’d tipped my head up with a finger under my chin and smiled at me. By everything that was holy, he was truly beautiful. He took the flower, closed his eyes as he brought it to his nose and inhaled the delicate scent. He then completely shocked me by thanking me for the gift, leaning forward and kissing me softly on the head before vanishing.

Heat radiated out from the place his lips touched, spreading like wildfire to my groin. My cock hardened and my breathing sped up as desire struck lightening fast to my balls. I’d squeezed my eyes closed and tried to will away my erection but it wasn’t going to be denied. No matter how innocent the kiss, I had just been kissed by my erotic obsession, something I never dreamed would happen. I’d made a small frustrated noise in my throat before shoving my hand down my loose pants, grasping my cock and jerking myself off furiously before the feel of the heat of Saraf’s kiss faded. I gasped his name as I came, the pleasure even greater than anything I’d experienced before. I knelt on the ground, panting, post-orgasmic shivers sliding over me for several long minutes before I thought I’d be able to move without my knees buckling.

My walk back to the temple took longer than it should have and I blamed that on the slightly dazed feeling buzzing through my brain at what had happened. The moment I appeared back in the temple murmurs followed me and I had no idea why until I bumped into Fanji and he asked me what the hell I’d done to my hair. I’d stared blankly at him until he sighed and pulled my hair loose from the ratty string I’d used to tie it out of the way before I’d climbed the fallen tree to get the flower for Saraf. Fanji tugged some of my hair forward, holding the hank in front of my face.

Cherry red hair was now mixed in with the teal strands. I’d yanked my long hair out of Fanji’s hand and ran to the nearest water basin. The barest drip of power from me had the surface go as smooth and still as glass turning the water into a mirror. My hand shook a little as I looked at my reflection and touched the spot where Saraf had pressed his lips to my head. The hair at that spot, from roots to tips, was now red. I was utterly shocked that Saraf had bestowed such an obvious Blessing on me. I didn’t think I’d done anything to earn it. The flower I’d given him, while beautiful, certainly wasn’t worthy of something as rare as a personal Blessing by a god. I was his servant and prayed daily to him but so did all his Chosen whether they were Geomancers like myself or Priests like Fanji or Clerics like my grandmother had been.

I saw Saraf once more in the flesh a month later. My Geomancer powers drew me to the ocean for my next offering to Saraf. I’d walked up and down the beach, the feeling of the perfect gift for my god prickling over my skin. The itch to find the object was intense and told me that what I searched for was there if only I looked hard enough for it. Not finding what I’d come for on the beach I’d stripped naked and plunged into the water, diving beneath the gentle waves, my power driving me to the depths to find what I sought, what I needed to give to Saraf.

Just when my lungs started to burn from lack of air, I saw a sparkle of green in the sand of the bottom. I snatched the object and headed for the surface, gulping in a huge lungful of air as I broke the surface. I held up my fist-sized treasure as I treaded water to find a dull grey volcanic rock on one side and a mass of pretty green crystals on the other side. It was perfect and I grinned before starting to swim awkwardly to shore with my prize clutched tight in my hand. I sloshed out of the ocean and stopped dead in my tracks to stare at my god leaning casually against a palm tree, watching me, a small smile on his face.

I’d flushed red at appearing before Saraf naked, wet and probably looking like a half-drowned dog with my long hair hanging in dripping ropes down my back to my knees, the weight of the water pulling the gentle curl at the ends straight. I dropped to my knees in the wet sand before him and held out the crystal studded stone, my head bowed and my free hand sliding over my privates to shield them from his eyes. Saraf walked to where I knelt at the edge of the surf and squatted in front of me, lifting the offering from my hand. He again tilted my face up to his and smiled at me.

“You consistently give me lovely, thoughtful gifts, Geomancer Edenlei. None have been quite so spectacular as seeing you emerge nude from the ocean,” Saraf said before cupping my chin and kissing me gently on the lips.

I turned even redder at that and just stared at him with no idea what to say or do. My body, more specifically my cock, had no problems figuring out what to do and rose to the occasion wickedly fast. Saraf smiled once more before kissing me on the lips again, the tip of his tongue teasing the seam of my lips before he broke the kiss. I was very confused why he was kissing me but it was glorious and sent heat racing through my body. I didn’t dare move my hand from my groin and half hoped that he’d vanish again before he saw what his kiss had done to my cock. Saraf stroked his thumb over my bottom lip, his pleased smile making him appear even more beautiful and my cock harder than it had ever been in my life. He stood, thanked me for the gifts and vanished.

I stayed kneeling in the warm surf for quite some time trying to will away the erection his kisses had given me. The arousal I felt this time was even more intense than when he’d kissed me in the forest. I barely got in a half dozen strokes to my cock before I was coming in powerful spurts, Saraf’s name panted out between breathless moans of pleasure.

When I got back to the temple I told the elder Priests about seeing Saraf again but left out what he’d said to me, the kiss he’d given me and my reaction to that. Thinking about the kiss he gave me and the look in his eyes when he’d said seeing me wet and naked was the best offering I’d given him made heat pool between my legs and my cock rise without fail. I’d spent quite a few evenings on my back, stroking myself off as I replayed that meeting in my head.

I’d told Fanji about the kiss and what Saraf had said to me but I didn’t tell him the kiss had made me harder than stone or that I’d jerked off to thoughts of Saraf multiple times because of that. Even though Fanji was my best friend and I told him virtually everything, there was no way I’d be telling him that Saraf starred in every single jerk off session I had.

“Edenlei, are you even listening to me?” Fanji asked as he halted before the ornate doors to the chamber the Elder Priests used for their meetings.

“Uhhh, yes?” I answered having no clue what Fanji had said or that he’d even been speaking to me as we ran through the temple, my thoughts on Saraf.

Fanji muttered something under his breath and gripped my upper arm tightly. “Whatever the fuck you do, do _not_, under any circumstances, tell the Elder Priests that Lord Saraf kissed you on the beach or what he said to you after. Trust me when I say that nothing good will come of that. As I was leaving the room, I overhead Elder Priest Brunthe say something about drastic measures before I left the room. Whatever those drastic measures are, they didn’t sound good at all. Matter of fact, I’d say they would be very bad measures for whoever was involved.”

Fanji was much more cynical than me but I thought that was a little over the top. I didn’t want to tell the Elder Priests about my full encounter with Saraf on the beach but only because I thought it was something private between me and Saraf. The Elder Priests didn’t need to know every last detail about my encounter with Saraf and the kiss. My reaction to Saraf’s kiss wasn’t relevant anyway and I’d more than likely be chastised for having such inappropriate thoughts of our god.

Gods did take mortal lovers. Quite frequently actually. But it was always the god who chose what mortal to bless with time in their bed. Saraf had taken lovers from among his faithful before. Not terribly often but often enough for it to be common knowledge that he sometimes offered one of his followers the pleasure of his bed. Saraf had no reason to choose me though. I was no beauty and had nothing to offer in the way of talents or even experience between the sheets.

Fanji opened the doors and entered the room with me close on his heels. The majority of the Priests were in the room along with all the Geomancers and what looked like at least half the Clerics. Everybody quieted as we entered. Rhyolite Brunthe was the head Elder Priest and he wasted no time with pleasantries or with waiting for anyone else to appear once he saw me.

“Geomancer Edenlei, you’ve recently had visits with Lord Saraf. We need you to try and reach him and beg him to stop the eruption of Goshuwa to save our people. If he won’t stop the eruption, beseech him to hold off on the full fury of the eruption to allow our people to escape safely. Should he demand anything in return for doing this, agree to whatever it is without hesitation or reservation even if what he demands is your life. Is this clear?”

I wasn’t a Priest but I still fell under the control of the Priesthood as Geomancers were simply a slightly different path that those chosen by Saraf followed just as Clerics were also ones chosen by Saraf but walked a different path than Priests or Geomancers. For all intents and purposes Rhyolite Brunthe was the person I ultimately reported to and when he gave me a direct order to do something, I was to do it. Not that I would’ve said no to trying to save my people. I did think saying Saraf would demand my life was extreme but I could fully understand things said in a moment of panic.

“Yes, Rhyolite Brunthe. I will do my best but there’s no guarantee that Lord Saraf will answer my prayer over anyone else’s,” I cautioned.

“We understand that, but your prayers have the best chance of reaching him out of all of us given that you’ve seen him in the flesh twice in as many months and was given a Blessing by him. We’ve sent runners to the city council to order an evacuation of the city but it would help save countless lives if Lord Saraf would intercede on our behalf,” Rhyolite Brunthe said with a little worry in his voice. “We’ll add our prayers to yours but we honestly think he’ll hear you over even the entire Priesthood trying to reach him. We have a contingency plan if Lord Saraf doesn’t respond to our prayers but we’d prefer not to go to such an extreme.”

I nodded and sank to my knees where I stood. I bowed my head and began praying to Saraf, hoping that the small connection it seemed we had would speed my prayers to his ears. I begged him to save my people. I asked that if he wouldn’t stop the volcano from its destruction, could he delay it in any way until my people were safely out of harms way. I reminded him that we’d been faithful followers of his for not only as long as we’d lived in the shadow of Goshuwa but had followed him to his various shifting seats of power for thousands of years. I told him that whatever he wanted in return for sparing the lives of our people, if it was within our power, we’d do it.

How long I stayed on my knees praying with everything I had in me, I had no idea. I was jerked out of my heartfelt prayers by a deafening boom and the terrified cries of the Priests around me as large burning rocks punched though the stone roof of the inner chamber raining dangerous debris down on us. Fanji lunged at me with a shout, knocking me to my back. A stone the size of my head smashed into the floor where I’d been kneeling seconds earlier. Rhyolite Brunthe shouted over the frightened screams of the people in the chamber to flee the temple before it collapsed and buried us alive.

My head felt a little fuzzy from the intense concentration of my prayers. I followed Fanji blindly out of the temple hoping like hell he was leading us the right way. Experience told me the muddled feeling in my head from my intense prayers would clear shortly. Until it did, it would be the height of foolishness to try and do anything with my Geomancer powers to protect myself or others as we fled the temple. I’d be just as likely to cause harm as good without clear concentration to work the elements. The other Geomancers who’d been praying as well would be in the exact same situation as me. We were just as vulnerable at the moment as anybody else who had no Geomancer powers.

Fanji and I stumbled out of the temple and skidded to a halt at the sight that greeted us. Fissures had opened all over the streets and even under businesses and houses causing them to collapse and burn. Lava spurted and spat from the slowly widening cracks setting everything nearby on fire. Grey, greasy ash fell like rain from the sky along with fiery rocks, some as big as the laundry tubs in the temple. Thick smoke from the volcano as well as the burning buildings blanketed the sky turning what had been bright mid-day to murky twilight. Lava was clearly visible jetting high into the sky from the caldera of Goshuwa and purple lightening tore through the dark cloud over the erupting volcano with frightening regularity. The air was unbearable hot and it seared the lungs to breathe it in. People ran everywhere in a panic as they tried to escape the destruction suddenly pounding down on us from the sky and opening up under our feet.

Rhyolite Brunthe staggered out of the temple and into Fanji and I. Blood flowed from a nasty gash at Brunthe’s temple and one of his arms flopped uselessly at his side, more blood darkening the material of his tunic at the shoulder. He focused on me with a rather disturbing look in his eyes, grabbed my arm with his good hand and started pushing me into the street, completely ignoring Fanji. Desperation was reflected in Brunthe’s gaze as he took in the destruction all around.

“The prayers aren’t enough. I told them prayers wouldn’t be enough to get Lord Saraf’s attention. I told them we needed a sacrifice to get Lord Saraf’s attention. We need to make a meaningful sacrifice to show Lord Saraf that we’re willing to do anything to show him how desperate we are for him to save us,” Brunthe slurred a little as he kept shoving me further into the chaos of the street and closer to one of the widening fissures, his steps a bit unsteady but purposeful.

My head was still fuzzy feeling from the concentrated prayers and unless I wanted to black out from the strain of trying to control the powerful elements happening right now, using any Geomancer powers was out. Given what Brunthe appeared to be attempting, my blacking out would only make it easier for him to haul me to the fissure. I struggled and pulled against Brunthe’s hold but I might as well have been a willful child fighting an adult. I had no idea Brunthe was so strong. His odd behaviour and my inability to get free was starting to scare me. Fanji yelled and dove at Brunthe in an attempt to free me when he realized where Brunthe was trying to take me. A smoking rock expelled from Goshuwa whizzed past Fanji, clipping him in the side before he reached Brunthe. It was a powerful enough hit to sending him spinning like a top to the hard-packed dirt of the street where he lay face-down and unmoving.

I screamed a denial and desperately yanked on my arm to pull it from Brunthe’s iron grip to go to Fanji. Brunthe refused to let go and squeezed my arm even tighter making me hiss in pain. I swung my fist at him, hitting his injured arm. He swore but refused to let go, alternately pushing and pulling me closer to the lava-spouting fissure. While he was easily five times my age, he was taller and heavier than me and was making me go where I really didn’t want to. He kept mumbling about my being a good sacrifice and had a strange fervor in his eyes that truly frightened me. Ancient texts in the temple documented how desperate times had called for live sacrifices to some gods to appease them and that we were blessed that Saraf never asked for such a thing from us. However, Brunthe seemed determined to start a new tradition with me as the first live offering. I was devoted to Saraf but I was not okay with that and highly doubted he wanted one of his Chosen to die in agony.

Intense heat tightened my skin the closer Brunthe moved us to the fissure. I fought hard against him, punching and kicking whatever I could hit. I might as well have been hitting one of the statues in the temple for all the good it was doing me. Brunthe was slowly but steadily pushing me to the fissure and ignored every hit as if they didn’t even happen. Brunthe wasn’t the only one with desperation in his heart though. I dug in my heels and put everything I had into stopping what Brunthe intended for me. What I was about to do was risky but if I blacked out at least I probably wouldn’t feel myself being burned alive by the lava. Hopefully.

_“Lord Saraf, God of Primal Flame, Lord of Metallic Dragons, hear the desperate prayer of your Geomancer, Edenlei. Give me the strength to break free of the one who would sacrifice me in your name in the lava bubbling from Goshuwa. I am your humble, faithful servant and I don’t believe you want any of your worshipers to be murdered in your name. That is not the type of god I know you to be. Lend me the smallest grain of your power to escape this fate and I swear to you that I will devote my entire being to your service in whatever form you wish for as long as I live. You have my most solemn oath as your Geomancer on that.”_

Brunthe bared his teeth at me and let go of my arm, throwing a wild punch aimed at my jaw. I stumbled back at the sudden release of my arm, tripped over debris and the uneven ground and went down hard. The back of my head made painful contact with the hard-packed dirt of the road. Stars exploded through my vision and my breath whooshed out of me. I lay on the ground, stunned, for several long seconds, my fuzzy thoughts now even more muddled. A hand roughly gripped the fabric at my shoulder and jerked me a little closer to the fissure. My vision swam at the movement and I flailed my arms wildly trying to get away. A foot connected with my jaw and pain tore through my head, making my vision go grey for a few precious seconds.

The heat of the air was becoming unbearable and I coughed as I struggled to resist being dragged closer to the fissure and certain death. I was a Fire Elf and a Geomancer of the God of Primal Flame and while I had some natural protection from fire as well as what my Geomancer abilities afforded me, there was no way I could save myself from the intensity of lava. As strong as I was, it was too powerful a force for me to protect myself from for more than a few seconds and I certainly had no wish to be burned to death. My head was also to fuzzy to be able to concentrate on drawing the power I’d need to try to save my life but not too fuzzy to realize I was about to die horribly.

“What are you doing with my Blessed Geomancer?” asked a deceptively soft voice from behind me.

I’d only heard that voice twice before but there was no way I’d ever forget who it belonged to. Hope fired to life in me and I craned my head back, my vision wavering a little at the move. Rising from the fissure, lava dripping harmlessly from his body like water, was Saraf. Brunthe stopped trying to drag me to the fissure and swayed where he stood as he stared uncomprehendingly at Saraf. Brunthe had never seen Saraf in person and our god was truly something to behold in the flesh. He also appeared to be furious. Fear suddenly settled like a molten rock in my belly.

“A sacrifice. Lord Saraf needs a sacrifice to know how desperate we are for help. Prayers and offerings aren’t enough. If we give Him a meaningful sacrifice, He’ll stop the volcano. If He needs more than one sacrifice then we’ll give Him more until He saves us all. This Geomancer has been Blessed by Lord Saraf Himself and that makes Geomancer Edenlei the perfect sacrifice. He’s been chosen by Lord Saraf for this.”

Brunthe tightened his grip on my tunic and started to drag me to the fissure again where Saraf stood on the lava as if it was nothing more than firm dirt. I renewed my fight to get free of Brunthe without success.

“Geomancer Edenlei is mine and only I can decide his fate,” Saraf said as he stepped from the fissure and walked to where Brunthe struggled with me. “The blow to your head must’ve been substantial to not recognize me and realize how angry you’ve made me for trying to take what is mine. You will die for what you tried to do.”

Saraf closed his dragon-claw hand over Brunthe’s wrist. I smelled burning meat and felt incredible heat for half a heartbeat before Brunthe began to scream, his voice high and thin and terrified. Saraf moved his hand away and where he’d covered Brunthe’s wrist, blackened bone was all that remained. As I stared, the bone disintegrated to ash and Saraf plucked Brunthe’s slightly charred hand from my shoulder, flicking it aside as if getting rid of a disgusting bug. A casual-looking backhand from Saraf snapped Brunthe’s head around with a sickening crack and sent him flying through the air to crash through the woven wall of a building thirty feet down the street. There was absolutely no doubt in my mind that Brunthe was very, very dead even before his flight through the air.

“I heard your prayer to spare your life, Geomancer Edenlei, and have done as you asked. I offer you this one opportunity to take back your oath to devote your entire being to me in whatever form I choose for the rest of your life as you were quite obviously desperate and under duress,” Saraf said as he helped me to my feet.

As far as I was concerned there was nothing to take back. I was already his Geomancer. I’d simply be taking my devotion to serving him to the highest level possible and become his Anchorite. It would probably be a bit lonely to live a life of solitary meditation and study but it was a very small price to pay for having saved my life. I was a studious person by nature so it probably wouldn’t be all that bad. I could still visit with friends, too, so I wouldn’t be a total hermit. I hoped I wouldn’t offend Saraf by being a little cheeky and asking for even more from him in the next few minutes. As far as I was concerned I had nothing to lose and the worst he could say was no to my request. I bowed my head respectfully.

“My oath stands, Lord Saraf. I thank you from the depths of my soul for sparing my life. I freely offer my devotion to you. I am now and will always be your willing servant for you to use however you see fit. If I may be so bold, please save my people from the destruction of the volcano by stopping the eruption.”

“No, Geomancer Edenlei, I won’t stop the eruption. A new Metallic dragon is being born and the eruption will stop when it emerges. I did hear your earlier prayer as well. I wasn’t ignoring your pleas. Interfering with the eruption would harm the dragon and I won’t allow that. I will, however, protect those that flee this place from volcanic harm but they need to leave now. It will only get worse from this point on. This is a very small island and it’s highly likely it’ll be completely destroyed during the final eruption. I’m a little puzzled and irritated that my Elder Priests didn’t begin preparations to leave the island when I sent them visions of what was to come but what’s done is done. Spread the word to leave however you can.”

A Metallic dragon was being born from the depths of the volcano? I was a little awed at that. There weren’t many Metallic dragons and if it took a volcanic eruption to bring one into being I understood why. They were the most powerful of the dragons so maybe it was a good thing that it took something as powerful and destructive as a volcano to birth one.

Saraf had sent visions to the Elder Priests of the eruption? Why hadn’t they warned us? So much destruction, pain and death could’ve been avoided if we’d known as a people that we needed to flee. As much as we loved our island home, if we knew Saraf had instructed us to leave for our safety, we would’ve done it without hesitation.

“I know it’s asking a lot and probably over-stepping my place but can you... can you restore Fanji? He’s my best friend and one of your Priests. He’s a very good Priest, too. He tried to stop Rhyolite Brunthe but was struck down by a rock hurled from the volcano.”

Saraf glanced over to when Fanji still lay face down in the street. “He lives but I can’t take credit for that. He’s badly injured but he should live as long as you get him to a Cleric soon. Gather your people to leave, Geomancer Edenlei, and tell them to hurry. Time is short.”

I fell to my knees and pressed my forehead to the ash covered ground. “Thank you, Lord Saraf. I will carry out your Will.”

“You, above all else, have my protection from harm from the eruption but if you do willfully stupid things like step onto a lava flow, I will not save you. Understood? I will come for you once the new dragon is born and safe. Do not forget your oath to me. You’ve given yourself to me and I will claim what’s mine. You will be directed where to lead your people to safety.”

I sat up and nodded, relief rushing through me. “As you wish, Lord Saraf. I’m yours to the end of my days.”

Saraf smiled at me, his expression pleased. He brushed his thumb over my cheekbone in a whisper soft caress before he vanished. The volcano still spewed ash, lava and stones but it was as if a giant clear shield had been extended over our heads. Nothing rained down on us even though I could see that those things were still falling from the sky but bouncing harmlessly off the shield Saraf had extended. I knew Saraf was a god but it was still awe inspiring to see those godly powers in action.

I got to my feet and hurried to where Fanji lay. He was breathing but it sounded laboured and blood had spread onto his tunic from where the flying rock caught him. Blood also flecked his lips and I knew that wasn’t a good sign. I hoped my manhandling Fanji as I dragged him out of the street to lean against one of the wood columns of the partially demolished temple didn’t make his injuries worse. He needed a Cleric or at least someone with more than basic first aid to look at him and that person certainly wasn’t me. I spotted a Cleric who looked to be a year or two younger than me standing near the broken remains of a statue of Saraf. The Cleric looked lost and frightened and I hurried to her.

“Come with me. Priest Fanji was injured by a flying rock and needs help I can’t give him but you can. I’m Geomancer Edenlei and Lord Saraf has heard my prayers for help. He said he will protect us but we need to leave the island now. The eruption must happen to birth a new Metallic dragon and when the dragon emerges, the island will be destroyed. Take Priest Fanji to the shore and gather every person you see along the way. Repeat what I’ve just told you about the dragon birth and needing to leave the island right now to every person you see. Lord Saraf told me that he would show me where to lead our people to our new home.”

The Cleric stared at me with wide eyes but nodded. She knew of me. I’d been the talk of the temple for the past two weeks once the news of Saraf personally accepting my last two offerings and being Blessed by him made the gossip rounds. No doubt she’d seen me talking to Saraf just moments earlier. The Cleric followed me to Fanji, dropping to her knees to swiftly examine him. I gave the Cleric a reassuring squeeze to her shoulder and turned to face the city center. I needed to tell the council to get everyone off the island if they wanted to live. I had no idea how we’d accomplish moving so many people in what was surely a short amount of time, but it needed to be done. Saraf had given me a task and the opportunity to do it and I refused to fail him or my people.


	2. Chapter 2

** Chapter 2 **

~Saraf~

How dare Brunthe presume to know what I wanted? How dare he lay hands on one I’d given a mark of my favour? How dare he try to kill what was mine? At what point did it make sense in his addled mind to sacrifice the one I’d given a mark of my favour to and think that would please me? It didn’t matter that I’d ended what Brunthe tried to do. Just the fact that he’d had the audacity to touch and try to destroy what was mine made my blood boil. My temper flared white-hot at what had almost happened and an immense gout of magma shot out of the erupting volcano in response to my rage. I clenched my fist and reeled in my anger at the sudden flurry of panicked prayers from my followers and wished that I could kill Brunthe again only this time, I’d be leisurely about it and make him truly suffer the wrath of not only a dragon but a god as well. There was enough destruction raining down on the small island right now. Letting my temper cause more would only hurt my followers and even possibly Edenlei. Harm to Edenlei was not going to be tolerated.

I kept an ear tuned to Edenlei’s voice just in case some other idiot decided to try to finish what Brunthe foolishly started. I had told Edenlei I wouldn’t save him from willful, fatal stupidity but that was a lie. I would. Even before he swore his oath to me to serve me however I wanted, he was already mine in a way that went beyond god and servant. He simply didn’t realize it yet.

Granted, I hadn’t fully understood what was between us either at first. I’d tried to figure out the meaning of Edenlei’s erotic prayers to me for several years but I could never seem to make sense of the reason behind them. I’d never had one of my servants offer me erotic prayers without first experiencing the pleasure of my bed. Even then, the erotic prayers didn’t continue more than a time or two after our dalliance was done. Edenlei’s not only continued as time went on, they became more and more detailed.

I was Edenlei’s god and he did love me as such but why would he give me erotic prayers that increasingly became more erotic as time went by? I was not a god of desire or erotica and, as one of my Geomancers, he was very aware of that. Why would he send me lust-heavy prayers two or even three times a week for six years yet never once pray to be allowed into my bed? Why would he send me intensely erotic prayers when he’d never even seen me in the flesh let alone shared my bed? It was a thoroughly confounding puzzle both for why he was doing it and why I was letting it continue.

Even his regular prayers to me were different from all my other worshipers. He did thank me for my protection and guidance but it was always thanks for his people not him specifically unless it was one of the rare occasions where he’d asked for my help. Even then, his request for help was typically about my helping him to find patience to deal with someone who was getting on his last nerve or giving him the strength necessary to not give in to his anger and drop a boulder on whomever was pissing him off so badly.

Usually his prayers, after thanking me for protecting his people, providing them a good place to live and asking that I continue to watch over them, were more like a rambling accounting of his day where he shared his highs and lows with me like we were old, close friends instead of servant and God. The first few times I’d heard his unusual prayers I’d been surprised but intrigued. In a very short period of time I found myself actually looking forward to his prayers. I found them refreshing and a very welcome break from the prayers of others that asked something of me for themselves almost every time they prayed.

Edenlei and our relationship was very strange though and a puzzle. While I generally liked puzzles it seemed as if I was missing a vital piece to put it all together and solve it. I got the feeling that once I discovered what that missing piece was, it would seem incredibly obvious and I’d wonder how I’d missed seeing it.

Out of frustration and desperation, I’d finally broken down and spoken to, Ji-Sun, the God of Carnal Desires, Love and Fertility to see what he thought of Edenlei’s erotic prayers and my continuing to allow them. My conversation with Ji-Sun had been rather enlightening on several levels and he suggested that I visit, Ammiel, God of Perception, to fully understand what was going on between me and my Geomancer as Ji-Sun didn’t have the answer, or more accurately, wasn’t willing to give me the answer I was seeking.

Ammiel had given me a cheeky grin when I explained the puzzle of Edenlei’s prayers and asked him what he thought of the prayers Edenlei sent me and my allowing him to do that for years. Ammiel stared at me, his third eye glowing with divine knowledge. Aside from myself, he was the only other god in our pantheon that had a third eye although his was situated horizontally while mine was vertical. His eye also allowed him to see into a person and help them understand things about themselves or the world around them. I saw the metaphysical with my third eye.

I had to admit that it was a touch unnerving to be the subject of the all-knowing stare of Ammiel. Not quite as uncomfortable as having Rhas-Khan, God of the Abyss, stare into your soul and reveal things to you that you’d likely prefer not to see, but it was close. The only one with a far more intimidating stare than either of them was Hylocereus, God of Mysteries and Oracle to the Gods. Fortunately I’d only interacted with The Hidden One a few times in the millennia I’d been alive and those few times were more than enough in my opinioin.

It was also a little unsettling to know that unlike Rhas-Khan’s stare, for Ammiel, no permission was required to allow him to look into you. Regardless of who you were, god or not, you couldn’t avoid the perceptive gaze of Ammiel if he chose to use his third eye and really look at you. I thought that was because Ammiel was the child of three very powerful gods and that much divine will running through him likely trumped anything a single god might possess.

Ammiel told me that Edenlei’s style of prayers, both regular and erotic, and the fact that I allowed them had subtly changed our relationship for both of us. Edenlei still revered me as his god but my not putting a stop to any of his unusual prayers had sanctioned them and moved what was between us past the level of servant and god to something more. That wasn’t necessarily a bad thing but it was brand new territory for me. I’d existed and been worshiped for thousands of thousands of years and had never faced the situation I did with Edenlei.

Because of those unusual prayers of his I knew Edenlei better than any of my followers. I didn’t know everything about him because I was not the Great-Father or All-Mother, but I did know quite a bit about the man he was. What I did know of his personality and his heart intrigued me and made me want to know more.

According to Ammiel, I knew even more than I was admitting to myself and the answer to my question was one I already knew. Ammiel told me to think on it and fell silent, waiting for me to bring all the pieces together. After thirty minutes, he excused himself quietly and went to wander through the lush garden of the home he shared with his mother, Fate, and his lover, Dashiell, a beautiful but stern looking half-Kitsune, half-Coyote that was obviously as deeply in love with Ammiel as Ammiel was with him.

I wasn’t stupid but I thought on what Ammiel said for several hours, my dragon side picking apart every single nuance of Edenlei’s prayers, erotic or otherwise, that he’d sent me over the last six years, roughly the time that his prayers had started to change from the standard fare of my Chosen. I examined the tiniest details of each prayer for the meaning Ammiel said I’d find. When I put all the separate pieces together, all three of my eyes went wide and I felt like the biggest idiot in all the realms for not seeing what was right in front of me the whole time.

Edenlei loved me.

Fine, I already knew he loved me as his god but this was different. Deep in his soul, he loved _me_, Saraf, as a person and as a lover. That was why his prayers were different. He gave me the faith, honour and love my being his god demanded and he did that with his whole heart. He also gave me something I treasured more in his prayers. He gave me the love of a partner and it was a larger, richer and deeper love than anything I’d ever been offered by anyone. I’d never been given such a precious treasure.

Knowing that, I spent the next several hours in the pretty gazebo in Fate’s garden thinking and examining my feelings. Why had I allowed Edenlei to continue sending me the type of prayers he did especially since I hadn’t known the depth of his feelings for me? Why had I not stopped him from sending me his unusual prayers after the novelty of them wore off? Why didn’t the pleasure of hearing his odd prayers wear off? Why did I look forward to hearing his prayers over any others of my Chosen?

I tediously picked through and poked at my reasonings and emotions until I was sure of what now seemed to be incredibly obvious. Edenlei was mine in more ways than as just one of my Chosen. I loved him in return and it was as more than the love a god felt for his followers. I loved him as a lover did. While I’d never had the pleasure of him physically in my bed, we had shared our sexual experiences through his erotic prayers. All those prayers of his had shown me the type of man he was and without my seeming to realize it, I’d fallen in love with him. What had started with the tiniest of embers now burned with a steady flame that showed no sign of going out.

When I thought about my last sexual encounter of any kind with someone not Edenlei, I realized that it’d been at least two years since I’d had someone in my bed, physical or otherwise, aside from Edenlei. That was a little shocking as it didn’t feel like it’d been anywhere near that long. True, time passed at a different rate for gods, and decades could pass in an eye blink for us, but to not have found pleasure with anyone other than Edenlei in that time was almost impossible to believe. Gods had exceptionally strong sexual appetites as did dragons. Yet I didn’t feel as if I’d been celibate or sexually unfulfilled. Quite the contrary.

I’d gotten into the habit of jerking off along with Edenlei as he sent me his erotic prayers, the quasi-partner action strangely satisfying although I was fairly certain now why that was. Being in love with him also explained why I couldn’t seem to work up the desire to take anyone up on their offer for a little sexual release. Dragons were incredibly faithful, with more than a few types forming a life-long pairing, not the least of which were Platinum dragons, of which I was on my father’s side. Considering that dragons were the longest lived of mortal creatures with life spans of around ten thousand years, some even more than that, that was a very long time to remain with just one individual. My father still lived and was still besotted with my mother and he’d been alive well beyond even what was considered ancient for dragons.

I left Fate’s garden as dawn was painting the sky in pink and purple. I returned to my seat and made plans to appear to Edenlei. Now that I knew what he was to me and how he felt about me, I had a strong need to claim him as mine before much more time passed. I certainly didn’t want to run the risk of somebody trying to steal away what was mine. Dragons jealously guarded their treasure and the only thing more fear inducing than an angry dragon was an enraged god. Considering that I was both dragon and god, provoking me by taking what was mine, even if they didn’t know something was mine, was not advised.

My first meeting in the flesh with Edenlei required a little timing on my part along with a dash of luck. I wanted to meet him privately but I didn’t want to demand his presence and make him nervous or think he’d done something I was displeased about. Most of the time he seemed to have people around him, which was annoying for my plans. But dragons were extremely patient and I was no different. I could bide my time for just the right opportunity as long as it came sooner rather than later.

Meeting Edenlei in person was both surprising and thrilling. Thrilling because it was an intense pleasure to finally have him in my arms and feel the warm weight of him pressed against me, the clean scent of him filling my nose. Surprising because the moment I saw him I knew he’d never had a cock up his ass nor slid his cock into anyone; dragons having the strange ability to instantly spot a virgin at a thousand paces never mind when one was being cradled in their arms.

Edenlei wasn’t a stunning, delicate beauty like I was usually attracted to, be they male or female. He was very masculine with a strong, perhaps even stubborn, jaw line, a firm set to his lips and an aquiline nose. Despite having strong features, his eyes were soft and held a sweetness and innocence in them that I found extremely attractive, virginity aside. He also had the most striking and unusual eyes I’d seen in several centuries. It amused me greatly that the combination of icy blue irises and lavender pupils that Edenlei had used to be seen as proof of one destined to become one of my highest servants.

His hair, despite being pulled into a sloppy ponytail, was utterly gorgeous. The long, pale teal strands were silky soft and smelled like mangos and almonds. Even loosely tied back, his hair reached a little past his hips, the ends curling and seeming to cup his pert little ass. Seeing him in the flesh and knowing what I did of the man on the inside where it mattered most, he was an exquisite creature that took my breath away. Edenlei was my pearl of immeasurable price.

I’d wanted to god-mark him right then and there. I probably would’ve if I hadn’t seen the complete confusion in his eyes when I tipped his face up to look at me again. In the instant our eyes connected solidly I knew he hadn’t yet realized the type of love he had for me. He knew he loved me as his god but he’d yet to have the same epiphany as I did about loving me as a partner. God-marking him as I wanted to would need to wait. That was not something entered into lightly and once done, not even the Great-Father could undo it. Edenlei needed to be fully aware of his feelings and absolutely sure of his decision before I’d God-mark him as mine.

It was still incredibly tempting to just do it as I did know how he felt and that those feelings wouldn’t change. That would be an incredible disservice to Edenlei and I wouldn’t do that to him. I could be patient. Extremely patient when the situation called for it. I was part dragon after all and we’d been known to bide our time for decades before putting plans into motion for even trivial things. I wouldn’t wait that long as Edenlei was mortal but I could take my time getting him used to the idea of having the very personal attention and affection of his god.

He wasn’t going to wander around free and clear though. People would need to think twice about approaching him. I’d kissed him on top of his head sending the barest spark of power over him. My lips curved into a pleased smile as I watched cherry red colour streak through his hair where my lips had touched him. Edenlei’s quiet indrawn breath that was damn close to a moan of pleasure to the simple, chaste kiss also pleased me greatly. He now bore a mark of my favour. It would have to do until he realized where his heart lay. He needed to discover the depth of his feelings for me on his own to know they were true. I wasn’t above giving him gentle nudges in the right direction but I wouldn’t tell him what I already knew to be true. I returned to my home extremely pleased with myself and the all too brief encounter with Edenlei.

I’d staggered and groaned when, not five minutes later, Edenlei had sent me the strongest of his erotic prayers yet. It was short but very powerful. I was panting and gripping the marble column I’d braced myself against with enough force that I crushed the hard stone to dust under my fingers. Only sheer force of will kept me from going back to him, stripping him bare, bending him over and fucking him hard, utterly claiming him as mine. Instead, I followed Edenlei’s lead and shoved my hand down my pants, stroking myself to completion quickly, Edenlei’s lush prayer fueling my desire and quickly shoving me over the edge to completion. I laughed out loud when I finally caught my breath and grinned. I didn’t anticipate a long wait before I’d be able to enjoy the pleasure of Edenlei in my bed.

Circumstances conspired against me and it was a full month before I was able to go to Edenlei again. The vision that greeted me was worth the wait. Edenlei emerged from the ocean gloriously nude with water sparkling in trails down his body in the mid-day sun. He had a beautiful, lean body, his skin the colour of pure, pale gold and he moved with fluid grace. He spotted me leaning against a palm tree watching him and his stunning eyes went wide in surprise before he dropped to his knees in the shallow surf, bowed his head and held out a large rock to me.

I was amused that he slid his hand over his groin to try and shield his cock from me. He wasn’t very successful as he was nicely hung and it did wonderful things to my ego to see his dick start to firm from just being in my presence. He couldn’t see it but he wasn’t the only one with a semi-hard cock just from seeing the object of his affection.

As far as I was concerned, seeing him walk toward me completely nude was an amazing offering and the best he’d given me yet even if it had been unintentional on his part. I was more than satisfied with the vision of him walking toward me nude. I still took the plain looking fist-sized stone from him as he’d obviously gone to some trouble to get it for me. I turned the stone over in my hands, surprise and delight filling me when I saw what he’d given me. Raw peridot crystals covered one side of the stone. They were beautiful and an absolutely perfect offering not only for a god but for a dragon as well. Edenlei instinctively understood me, which was a treasure in and of itself.

I squatted in front of him and tipped his head up so we could look at each other. By the gods, he had the most enchanting eyes. The sweetness in them made me want to do anything he asked of me. I thanked him for his offering and told him that seeing him walk nude and wet from the ocean was the best offering he’d ever given me. His blush had been adorable and I hadn’t been able to stop myself from kissing him on the lips. I had to taste his mouth like I needed to breathe.

His lips held the salty tang of the ocean and were warm, soft and pliant under mine. A quick glance down showed me that after just one kiss he was fully hard just as I was. I wanted him and I wanted him right that very second. The confusion in his eyes at the kiss kept me from acting on my desires though. The need and innocence in his stare tested my resolve and I couldn’t resist giving him one more kiss before leaving him. I ran the tip of my tongue over the seam of his lips, just barely stopping myself from plundering his very willing mouth, tormenting myself with what I couldn’t have just yet.

I barely held back calling him my pearl. He needed to find where his heart lay on his own. I didn’t want to influence him or make him think that he needed to respond in kind in order to make me happy. He’d know exactly what he was to me if I called him my pearl and while I wasn’t trying to be deceitful, I wanted him to understand his heart before burdening him with the love of not only a god but a dragon as well.

Before I did something monumentally stupid, like ravish him on the beach like a possessive, territorial dragon, I stood and took myself back to my seat. I was prepared this time and already flat on my back in my bed, nude and with my cock in hand when Edenlei sent his erotic prayer to me. I groaned and stroked myself just as quickly as Edenlei did, gasping as my cock spurted seconds after his did.

As I lay there milking the last few drops of seed from my balls I mentally revised the timetable I’d set for wooing Edenlei. There was no way in hell I was going to be able to keep my desire in check for months. Not after learning what I had about how we felt about each other. Most certainly not after the teasing kisses I’d stolen from his lips as he knelt in the warm surf. Absolutely not after receiving his erotic and highly satisfying prayer because of those kisses on the beach. Given his recent reaction I didn’t think he’d mind all that much if I was a bit more aggressive in getting him into my bed than I’d originally planned. Anticipation curled tightly through me and I made plans to visit him again very soon.

Of course, the best laid plans of gods and men were subject to the whims of Fate and she’d apparently decided to cock-block me on a grand scale.

First there was an urgent meeting called by the Great-Father that couldn’t be ignored. Once that was sorted I was only a day back home planning on when next to see Edenlei when a yellow dragon that really should’ve known better despite her young age attacked a nesting pair of bronze dragons supposedly over territorial rights. The two bronze dragons killed the lone yellow but several of their eggs were destroyed in the fight and they suffered some injuries. They wanted compensation for their loss and the baseless fight over territory that the bronze dragons had inhabited for a little more than three hundred years. As the Lord of Metallic Dragons, it was my duty to try and mediate between them and the Lady of Chromatic Dragons. An entire frustrating week was taken up trying to work something out until I’d lost my temper at the dance of words that dragons always engaged in and that was ultimately keeping me from Edenlei. I’d thrown the god card on the table, confiscated half the pitiful hoard of the yellow on behalf of the bronzes and went home.

A few scant hours after I arrived home and just as I was ready to put my plan in motion to see Edenlei again, the volcano began erupting in seriousness with the immanent birth of a new Metallic dragon. A very young, mortally wounded Mercury dragon had laid a single egg in the heart of the volcano several years previously, the one egg being all she’d been able to lay with the little strength she had left. With her dying breath she begged me to watch over it and the dragonling that would hatch from it. Normally, a dragon didn’t lay her eggs in an active volcano, but if she knew she couldn’t look after the egg for some reason, a volcano was the safest, most suitable substitute for the warmth and protection of a nesting female.

She hadn’t told me who the sire was before dying and without knowing what the dragonling was, I had nowhere to start looking for the sire. Mercury dragons were capricious and prone to erratic behaviour so there wasn’t even a guarantee that she had bred with another Mercury dragon. For all I knew, the sire of the egg had been killed by whatever fatally wounded the Mercury dragon as well since breeding pairs tended to stay together to ensure the survival of the eggs.

I’d checked on the egg every few weeks once the time for it to hatch approached. When the signs of the egg hatching within a few weeks appeared, I sent visions to Brunthe and some of my Elder Priests telling them to gather their people and flee the island before it was swallowed up in the destruction of the soon-to-happen eruption. I’d given them plenty of time to start preparations to safely flee. I’d assumed that my Elder Priests would do as I instructed and hadn’t given any more thought to the matter. I was their god. My Will was absolute and to be obeyed without question. To later learn that they hadn’t done as I’d instructed annoyed me greatly. Why they hadn’t done what I’d told them to, I had no idea. I figured I’d straighten out the ones who survived the eruption once things settled down. If the Fire Elves fled immediately, the loss of life, while regrettable, shouldn’t be too severe.

I wasn’t overly worried about Edenlei although I was keeping an ear tuned to his voice. He was a smart and practical man and I had every confidence he’d be among the first to urge his people to flee once he realized what was happening. He had a small measure of my protection from the blessing I’d bestowed on him. As long as he didn’t do anything foolish, he’d be safe. He was also a powerful Geomancer and was more than capable of handling himself.

I settled in to watch over the egg as the dragonling inside struggled to break free and to possibly help if necessary. Regardless of what the Mercury had bred with, the dragonling was at least half Metallic dragon and it was my duty to foster it until I found its sire or until it was able to fend for itself, which could take up to a hundred years.

Edenlei’s prayers for me to stop the eruption were hard to dismiss but the wellbeing of the dragonling took precedence especially as it began to struggle more than it should to break free of the tough leathery shell of the egg. His prayers also told me that he was safe and didn’t need my intervention. The dragon in the egg, however, did. I’d had to carefully slice through the shell with a claw to get the dragonling started on entering the world when it was clear it was unable to break through on its own. I’d sworn long and loud when instead of a dragonling trapped in the egg I spotted two very un-dragonlike faces.

Twin dragons sharing an egg was rare. Rarer still was both twins surviving to the point of hatching. There simply wasn’t that much room in a dragon egg for two dragons to make it all the way to hatching despite the fair size of a dragon egg. Usually in the case of twins sharing an egg one dragonling ate the other so at least one would live. The two in the egg in front of me had instead changed into an Elven-like form leaving them just barely enough room to make it all the way to hatching. With my help breaking open the egg, they were able to crawl out of what almost became their tomb. No sooner did the twins drag themselves from the egg to lay panting on the lava flows than I heard Edenlei’s desperate, panicked prayer, leading me to kill Brunthe and Edenlei promising himself to me for the rest of his life to be used in whatever form I wished.

I’d struggled against the urge to snatch Edenlei to me and take him back to my seat where he’d never be in danger again. He had a strong sense of duty, one of the qualities I admired about him and I refused to take that from him by whisking him away to safety while his people died. I couldn’t stop the eruption as that would likely kill the new Metallic dragonlings as they’d just finished hatching and needed to bathe in the lava to toughen their skin. Changed form or not, they were still dragons and needed to do what dragons needed to do. Instead of whisking Edenlei to safety as I wanted, I extended my protection to Edenlei’s people at his request and gave him strict orders to get everyone off the island or they would die.

I wasn’t happy to leave Edenlei in the chaos around him but I didn’t see any other choice. To take him with me would’ve confused and angered him and likely even made resentment towards me grow in his heart. I couldn’t stay with him as twins hatching was a tricky thing and one or even both of them could die if they didn’t properly submerge themselves in the lava. I’d ordered a female steel dragon to watch the twins while I went to save Edenlei but that was a calculated risk. Mature dragons were known to eat hatchlings not their own. I doubted the steel dragon would eat the twin dragonlings because I was her Lord and a god but it was always best not to tempt Fate into screwing you over because you were being cocky. I wasn’t about to take that sort of risk when I’d promised their mother to watch over the egg and, by extension, the dragonlings inside it.

The most I could do for Edenlei and his people at that time was what I promised him. I’d protect them from the fallout of the volcano as they escaped the island. I also sent a lesser wyrm to guide them to the island I’d already chosen as my next seat of power. Just for good measure I’d sent some brass dragons to him with large woven baskets to carry the injured, children and aged to safety. I could’ve moved the entire population to my new seat of power in the blink of my eye, but I wanted the lesson of what happened to those who didn’t heed my words to sink in. A little fear, pain and loss would imprint on them the importance of obeying my Word.


	3. Chapter 3

** Chapter 3 **

~Edenlei~

Our new island home wasn’t terribly far from our previous one but it was a hard adjustment to make. Many lives had been lost not only when the volcano erupted but as people tried to flee. We’d lost about a third of our population and much of our possessions. Possessions could eventually be replaced but the missing people... it was difficult for so many. I was angry with the Priesthood for keeping the information about the eruption and the need to leave from us but there was nothing I could do about that. What was done was done.

Saraf had been true to his word. He’d not only sent a lesser wyrm to guide the motley flotilla of crafts we’d scrambled to launch but he’d also sent several Metallic dragons to safely carry the injured, elderly and children to the new island. We were all properly awed as there were only a few of my people that had seen a Metallic dragon reasonably close and never so close as to actually be able to touch one. Without Saraf sending the dragons, the lives lost would’ve been even greater than they were. He truly was a caring and merciful god and I was honoured to be one of his Chosen.

Fanji lived as Saraf said he would. The Cleric, Damia, had saved Fanji’s life as far as both of us were concerned. She was a lovely young woman and downplayed her role in saving Fanji saying he wasn’t injured as badly as I’d thought and that Fanji had a strong will to live. I only had the barest of first aid knowledge that any average person had but even I’d been able to tell that Fanji had been seriously wounded by the way he laboured to breathe and the flecks of pink foam that dotted his lips. The burning rock that hit him had apparently broken some ribs and pushed the jagged end of one of the bones into his lung. Without Damia and her power as a Cleric to heal wounds, Fanji would’ve drowned in his own blood.

Fanji was smitten with her and I could see why, life-saving aside. She was soft-spoken and kind and had a sweet face. She could also be an absolute terror when she thought her patient was disobeying her orders. Then again, Clerics weren’t only healers but battle-trained warriors as well although we hadn’t had even a minor skirmish with anyone in at least fifty years. Clerics still trained daily to physically protect us if need be.

I thought it was funny as hell when Fanji cowered from Damia’s wrath since he was usually so brash and bold. I was pretty sure there was going to be fusing ceremony between Fanji and Damia shortly after he was able to leave his sickbed, which was supposed to be within the week. I was happy for them. They made a cute couple and pairings between the Chosen of Saraf were encouraged, the base level of power required to become one of Saraf’s Chosen tending to breed more consistently between the children of parents who were both Chosen.

“So, you’re really going to go off and live in a dank cave and spend your days contemplating your navel or some shit?” Fanji asked as he moved one of the coloured stones on the board beside him. “I know you’re a serious, studious guy but that’s taking it a little far even for you, Edenlei.”

“I’m not going to live in a cave and stare at my navel,” I said in exasperation as I moved a different coloured stone and took one of Fanji’s with a grin. “I prayed to Lord Saraf to save our people and he did. In return, I promised to devote my life to his service. I think that’s a rather small price to pay for what he did. It’s certainly a far smaller price than what Rhyolite Brunthe wanted to force me to pay.”

“Brunthe was a pompous dick. You know, between you, me and the walls, I think he was jealous that you were visited by Lord Saraf and he never was even though he’d been given to the temple as a baby and was destined to be a Priest right from the start.” Fanji moved another stone on the board. I frowned at the random move.

I shrugged. “I swear the first meeting was an accident. The second... well, I’m not sure what was going on there. I was surprised as hell and deeply embarrassed to walk out of the ocean, bare-assed naked and find Lord Saraf just standing there, watching me. I have no idea why he kissed me like he did.” I moved one of my stones taking another of Fanji’s. “I mean, I liked it a lot, but why would he kiss me like he did?”

“You have no idea why he kissed you? By the gods, Edenlei, are you really that innocent?” Fanji chuckled as he pushed another stone across the board in a move that didn’t make sense to me unless he was deliberately trying to lose. “You’ve got a nice lean, flexible body in decent shape, gorgeous hair, a generous nature, you’re thoughtful and you always try and see the goodness in others. You’re smart but not obnoxious about it and you’ve got a great, dry sense of humour. If we weren’t such good friends I’d have tried to get into your pants ages ago,” Fanji said as he grinned at me.

I stared at Fanji with wide eyes. That was a revelation and a half to me. I’d never even caught the barest hint that Fanji had thought of me that way. Or thought of any men that way. I needed some clarification on that last statement of his. Not that it was taboo or anything to enjoy another man in bed but I hadn’t known Fanji leaned that way. If I had, I’d have peppered him with all kinds of questions ages ago about what it was like or what to expect with a man. Fanji must’ve seen something in my face because he rolled his eyes at me and snorted softly.

“I happen to enjoy the charms of both sexes. I see no point in limiting myself to half of the possible choices out there when I’m looking for fun and pleasure. I don’t fuck men often because I’m pickier about them than women, but I do enjoy getting my dick into a tight ass now and again. I like taking it in my ass sometimes, too. Did no one ever talk to you about sex, Edenlei? There’s a vast feast of possibilities out there. By the gods, you make it sound like you’re actually still untouched?”

My cheek heated a little and Fanji hooted when he saw that. I groaned mentally. Fanji was never going to let me live that little bit of information down.

“Well that explains everything about Lord Saraf giving you a blessing and then popping by for a second visit with you. I just assumed you were really discrete about who you let into your bed and silent about what went on between you and someone else. I had no idea that you’ve never actually had the pleasure of a man between your thighs. Dragons can smell a virgin at a thousand paces if all the stories are to be believed. They obviously think they’re some kind of special treat or delicacy going by the way they tend to pursue them. I’ve heard that gods are just as bad in their pursuit of virgins. I’m sure you’ve heard that, too. You’re one of Lord Saraf’s Geomancers, you’re a virgin and you’re attracted to men. Of course he wants to nail your cute little ass. Holy crap, was he your first kiss, too?”

“Uhhh, I guess so. I mean, there was that one time in the children’s class when I was seven or so and a girl named Pasheina kissed me when I gave her my sweet treat after she dropped hers in the sand, but I don’t think that counts. Does it? And how do you know I’m attracted to men? I’ve never said anything about that.”

“No, that kiss most definitely doesn’t count,” Fanji laughed. “I’m your best friend, Edenlei. I’ve seen the way you watch the men in the baths. You’re not rude or obvious about it but it was pretty damn clear to me that you like cock. You never give women anything more than a polite smile even when they’re obviously trying to get your cock’s attention. Lord Saraf must think Fate has smiled upon him by putting you in his path. It’s quite the honour to have a god in your bed. Promise me you’ll give me all the details after. All the stories say it’s absolutely fucking amazing to have a god do you.”

He gestured to the board as it was still my turn. I stared at the board not really seeing the stones as I thought. When viewed in light of what Fanji just said, everything about that second meeting with Saraf made so much more sense. It was well known that gods enjoyed whomever they pleased in their bed, the sex or even the species of their partners not all that important apparently. It was also well known by everyone, holy servant and common man alike, that the gods seemed to greatly enjoy innocents in their beds. I had no idea why. It seemed to me that you’d prefer to have somebody in bed with you who knew what was going on and wasn’t going to be all nervous and unsure.

A flutter of excitement swirled through my belly at the idea that Saraf might actually want me in his bed. Saraf was breathtakingly beautiful and it was beyond my wildest fantasies to have the opportunity to join my god in his bed. Granted, he hadn’t asked for me to be there but Fanji did have a very valid point. Gods seemed to be especially fond of virgins and to have one that was also a servant of yours had to be incredibly enticing for a god. I now had a ton of questions and thanks to what Fanji had revealed about his preferences, I had someone I trusted that I could ask. I moved a stone at random, the game no longer important to me.

“So what’s it like with a man?” I asked Fanji. “You have been with one or more than one man, right?”

“Yeah, I’ve been with more than one man before. And I even mean it like it sounds. There were these really hot cousins at one of the Priesthood conferences.... I swear to you, Edenlei, getting cock stuffed into you at both ends at the same time is glorious.”

I stared at Fanji with wide eyes, not sure if he was teasing me or not. I didn’t think he was as his expression was serious but Fanji sometimes said the most outrageous things just to see how people would react. And he loved to tease the crap out of me. He said I looked cute when I blushed.

“Sometimes I’m giving, sometimes I’m taking. Depends on my mood and what the guy I’m with likes. What it’s like with a man? Well, that pretty much depends on the one you’re with and whether you’re the one doing the dicking or the one being done. If you’re the one being done there’s some guys that’re real assholes and only care about getting themselves off. The good ones make sure you’re comfortable and enjoying yourself and want both of you to have fun. If you’re doing the dicking, I guess you’ll need to figure out if you’re an asshole or considerate. With you, I’m betting heavily on the considerate side although to be totally honest, I see you taking more than giving.” Fanji moved a stone on the board and I automatically countered his move with one of my stones, my mind more on Fanji’s words than the game.

“But what does it feel like? To take another into your body I mean?” I asked curiously. “How well does that even work? I’d kind of assumed that it’d be at least a little painful to have a dick up your ass going by general relative size of a dick and an asshole. But if it was painful, then why would people keep doing it?”

“It feels fucking awesome to give and take. Of course, that’s just my opinion,” Fanji said with a wide teasing grin as he moved a stone. “The first time or if it’s been a while since you’ve had the pleasure of a cock up your ass can hurt a bit. Not gonna lie about that. But it’s not painful like you think you’re gonna die or anything. With a patient partner who doesn’t rush, who gently stretches you and lots and lots of lube, it’s so damn good, you’ll want to do it again and again. There’s an amazing pleasure spot buried in your ass, too. Having that stimulated can make you blow your load without a single touch to your dick.”

I slanted Fanji a disbelieving look at that last bit. I was sure he was teasing me now just to see how gullible I was.

“I’d offer to show you how damn good it is to have a cock inside you, purely for research purposes of course, but I really don’t want to piss off my god by sticking my dick in a hole that’s got his keep out signs all over it. I’m not into having godly wrath smite me down even for my best friend and what I’m pretty sure would be an awesome fuck. I just completely kicked your ass in the game by the way.”

A soft blush heated my cheeks at Fanji’s compliment. I did want to know what it was like to have sex with a man but as much as I loved Fanji, it was the brotherly kind of love. It would probably feel all weird if we did fuck.

I stared at the board without really seeing it for several long seconds as I thought about what Fanji said about Saraf putting warning signs all over my ass. He was probably reading far more into what I’d told him about my encounters with Saraf although it did give me a thrill to think that what Fanji said was true. A small frown wrinkled my brow as I finally really looked at the board and the placement of the stones. He was right. He had utterly kicked my ass. It wasn’t often that Fanji won when we played Conquer and it was typically a close game when he did beat me. I’d never lost that badly to him before. I chose to blame it entirely on my distraction with our conversation. Fanji noticed my frown.

“Relax, Edenlei. I’m sure Lord Saraf is fantastic in bed and knowing it’s your first time for anything, I’m betting he’ll be pretty damn gentle and patient. Just be honest with him and tell him what you’re feeling. If something hurts or you need a moment or whatever, say so. Yes, he is a god but he’s not the god of sex and while I’m pretty sure he’s got oceans of experience, you’re you and sex is always a little different with each partner you have. He’ll be relying on you to tell him what you like or don’t like.”

“This is all conjecture, Fanji. I’ve only seen him three times and he never once said that he wanted me in his bed,” I pointed out. “And I’ve no idea where you got the idea that Lord Saraf has keep out signs posted around me,” I said with a soft snort, wanting to believe Fanji but not daring to believe he was right.

“Okay, let’s review the facts as you’ve told them to me. You literally fall into the lap of Lord Saraf, which I’m still not sure I one hundred percent believe. Instead of punishing you for touching a god without permission, he thanks you for your offering and kisses you on the head turning some of your hair red, which is totally a godly Blessing right there and you know it.

“Your next encounter a month later has Lord Saraf watching you as you emerge out of the ocean, bare-ass naked. He again personally accepts your offering to him and then tells you that seeing you walk out of the ocean naked is the best offering you’ve ever given him. He then kisses you not once but twice full on the mouth before vanishing. That is way beyond thanking you for your offering no matter how much he liked it and you know that, too.

“Finally, our people are in grave danger, you especially, and he appears not only to save your ass but all of ours because you asked him to. He said he would come for you and you said he told you not to forget your oath and that he would claim what was his. Claim what was his. That statement seems pretty damn clear right there that your ass is officially his personal property. He’s going to fuck you into the mattress, you lucky bastard.”

When it was all laid out that way it did seem to point to Lord Saraf taking me to bed. Not that I was against the idea. That was the very last thing I was thinking. I was so excited about it that my heart sped up and my cock started to firm. I simply didn’t see what was so special about me, virginity aside, that drew the attention of a god.

“Well, he hasn’t appeared again and we’ve been here for a week. Perhaps he’s forgotten about me. Not that I’m trying to get out of my oath or anything,” I said as I toyed with one of the stones from the game.

Fanji rolled his eyes at me. “He is a god and I’m sure he’s busy doing god things what with the recent volcanic eruption and birth of a fucking Metallic dragon. Give him some time to do whatever he needs to do to take care of all that. Time probably has a different feel to him, too, considering he’s immortal. Who knows? A week may seem like less than the blink of an eye to him.”

“I suppose. I’m just really curious and eager now thanks to you, Fanji,” I said with a mock frown.

“Then go find a pretty, secluded spot and pray to him. Even if he doesn’t swoop down and ravish you right then and there he’ll at least know that you haven’t forgotten your oath, that you’re waiting for him and you’re interested in what he’s offering you. Just remember that you need to tell me all the details of the deed after. I’m your best friend. I deserve to hear how Lord Saraf made your world tremble.”

I grinned at Fanji and gave him a gentle hug; his ribs still a little tender from being broken. He really was the best friend anyone could ask for. I said my good-bye and left the sick ward. Fanji had given me a great idea and it was something I could do with relative ease. I stood out of the way of passersby and sent tendrils of power into the earth looking for the perfect place to do what Fanji suggested. The island we now lived on was much larger than our previous home and we hadn’t yet explored it fully so I didn’t know all the nooks and crannies of the land yet.

I wanted a secluded place that wasn’t yet known so that if Saraf did appear we’d be away from prying eyes but I also didn’t want to travel too far in case he didn’t show. After the cataclysm of our home island being destroyed, there were fewer of us Geomancers left and we hadn’t been that large of a group to start with. It was our responsibility to map out our new home and with the island being as large as it was, it was a big task for the two dozen or so Geomancers left. We were also in the process of building our new city and serious exploration of the island took second place to finding fresh, reliable water, good land to grow crops and trees that bore fruits or nuts. All that responsibility fell to us Geomancers because of our ability to read and manipulate the elements.

The thin thread of power I sent into the ground twisted and turned as it flowed through cracks and miniscule crevasses. I could feel lava moving and shifting deep underground but it was a lazy, sleepy sensation as it worked its way to the volcano at the center of the island. This volcano was barely active and I highly doubted I’d see it erupt in my life time unless something dramatic happened, which I sincerely hoped it wouldn’t. One massive, nearly life-ending volcanic eruption was more than enough for me, thank you very much.

I finally found a spot I liked for my commune with Saraf. It was a little further away than I’d wanted but it was certainly secluded and I was fairly sure an unknown spot just because it was a bit further afield than us Geomancers had mapped out yet. I would make note of it later for my people as we loved hot springs, but for now, it was going to be my private place where I could hopefully entice Saraf into accepting my offering of my virginity.

I withdrew my power and hurried to the tiny room I’d been assigned in the make-shift temple. I had a pitifully small bag of personal things I’d managed to take before leaving our former island home. Thankfully, I had a set of clean clothes among my things. They weren’t fancy or even befitting something you’d wear to see a god by any stretch of the imagination but it wasn’t like I had a lot of clothing options at the moment. I did have an intricate hair comb that had belonged to my great-great-grandmother. I didn’t have access to any ornamentation beyond that but Saraf had said he thought seeing me dripping wet and naked was the best gift I’d given him yet so he probably wouldn’t even notice the hair comb. But it was all I had and I wanted to him to see that I’d made an effort to please him.

I dressed in the clean clothes and twisted my hair up, securing it with the comb. It was hardly seduction attire but it wasn’t like I knew how to be seductive anyway. I should’ve asked Fanji for some tips. There was no saying that Saraf would even appear despite my praying to him and his promise to come for me. I had no idea of the finite details of his duties as a god or as Lord of Metallic Dragons. For all I knew he was incredibly busy with the new dragon and didn’t have time to spare to dally with me right now. It still wouldn’t hurt to try to get his attention. The worst that could happen is that he wouldn’t respond to my prayers.

I grabbed a ripe, sweet fruit and a small bag of nuts as I left the living quarters, not knowing how long I’d be gone. It was early afternoon and it would take me about half an hour to reach the spot I’d found and that was with using my abilities as a Geomancer to make my path easier. My prayers... I could quite literally be on my knees for hours waiting for Saraf to respond before calling it quits and going home. That was fine though. I’d already done my duties as a Geomancer for the day. True, I should’ve gone to one of the work crews and offered to do whatever needed to be done, but Fanji had really put a bug in my brain and I wanted to know if what he was guessing was true or not. It also wouldn’t hurt anything to show Saraf that I hadn’t forgotten my oath and was waiting for him as instructed.


	4. Chapter 4

** Chapter 4 **

~Saraf~

The Mercury dragon had most definitely bred with a dragon not of the Mercury variety. Typically, dragons only bred within their colouration but Mercurys were... different. Life was one big adventure to them and if they could get others to join them on their follies, all the better. That wasn’t necessarily a bad thing but it did present me with a bit of a challenge in finding the sire of the twins. I had an idea of where to start but it would’ve been so much easier if the female Mercury dragon had found a nice Mercury male and let him breed her.

The twins were inseparable. That was likely due to them losing their mother before they’d even developed in the egg. They’d needed each other for company and comfort as they formed. As flighty as Mercury dragons were, they were good mothers, spinning tales of adventure for the dragonlings to amuse them as they developed in the egg as well as teaching them what they’d need to know once they broke free of the egg. I should’ve spent more time tending to their egg but it was the first time I’d had the responsibility and I was definitely not mother material. There was also no way I’d have had the time necessary to care for it as their mother would’ve. I would foster and teach them to the best of my abilities now though.

Prasiolite was seafoam green in colour with silvery-grey hair. Rhodolite was light purple in colour with the same hair colour as his brother. They both had a shimmer to their skin that was eye-catching and not something found in Mercury dragons. I wasn’t the one who named them. They chose their names as was typical for dragons. I thought the names a little unusual but their entire state of being was unusual. They shouldn’t have been able to transform into another shape for several decades at the very least and they really shouldn’t have been able to do it while still in their egg without even the barest instruction from another dragon. I’d never heard of that happening before and there was a very good chance that they’d be stuck in their current form for a several decades before they could be the dragons they were. Fortunately they didn’t seem bothered by that.

Going by their skin colouration, I assumed that their sire had to be a Gemmed dragon. That was a little surprising as Gemmed dragons were below Metallic dragons in almost every category from size to power to social status. The Gemmed dragon who’d bred the Mercury dragon had certainly been reaching beyond his station. Where a Gemmed dragon did excel was in the creation and casting of spells to aid him or herself or allies in battle. Knowing they didn’t have the size or strength of even the weakest of the Metallic or Chromatic dragons, the Gemmed pursued spell creation and casting to strengthen their lack of power and to weaken their opponents to get a more level battlefield. Truthfully, the spell ability of a Gemmed could’ve been what attracted the twin’s mother since Mercurys never went into battle without a full arsenal of spells at the ready. Mercury dragons were also the quickest and most proficient casters of the Metallics.

Thankfully Prasiolite and Rhodolite were content with each other’s company and didn’t require a lot of attention from me. Dragonlings, while needing protection from things larger and more predatory than they were, including other dragons, were not helpless as so many babies were. It wasn’t even really fair to call them babies as they most definitely were not. They were perfectly formed, Elven-looking adults in miniature. The tops of their heads barely came hip high on me. They lacked the teeth and claws of their natural dragon form and they certainly couldn’t fly at the moment but they were very fast, likely inheriting that from their mother and had already developed a few very rudimentary defensive spells that were surprisingly effective against smaller things. They’d be gobbled up in a single bite if cornered by even a juvenile dragon regardless of type but they were good enough with their spells, especially when they combined their casting, so that they could certainly make the juvenile regret trying to snack on what looked fairly helpless.

After getting the twins settled I was finally able to turn my attention back to where I wanted it to be. Edenlei. He was safe and working hard to help his people re-build on their new island home. He prayed to me every day but I could hear the exhaustion in his prayers and they weren’t nearly as long or detailed as I was used to hearing from him. That bothered me on several levels. His prayers were perfectly acceptable in length and while the level of devotion in them for one of my Chosen was exactly right, they weren’t of the quality and closeness of the prayers I’d received from him for the past six years. He was doing his best under very difficult circumstances and I didn’t doubt his faith or love for me as his god for a second but I still felt somewhat cheated by his shorter, more formal style prayers. It was like I was getting second-rate prayers, which was ridiculous, as even his second-rate prayers were easily as good as what my other Chosen sent me and I had no complaints about their prayers.

Edenlei had obviously spoiled me horribly with his usual prayers and I wasn’t content to receive less than he’d been giving me.

There weren’t any erotic prayers from him either. Logically I understood that he was dead tired at the end of the day and couldn’t spare the energy to jerk himself off. Quite possibly he didn’t have the privacy to jerk off either as his people were still at the very beginning stages of re-building. But I wanted him to jerk off and send those prayers to me. I wanted to feel his pleasure and carnal devotion and let it build and add to my desire. I wanted to hear him call my name as he orgasmed and wallow in the delight of his release that usually triggered my own.

I wasn’t getting what I wanted and I knew I was being a testy creature because of that. Case in point, one of my servants had apparently slipped a very discrete message to Wu-Tyr and he was now seated across from me, watching me intently. I was almost willing to swear I saw amusement in his golden eye and devilish delight in his silver one.

Wu-Tyr was an Elder God and I supposed it could be said he was my uncle of a sort. Relationships among the gods were complicated to describe at best. He was the God of Primordial Waters and an immensely powerful being. While we were both gods, his powers were greater than mine because he was an Elder God.

Wu-Tyr, along with all the other Elder Gods from all the pantheons, brought all the universes into being through their combined power. My mother was an Elder God and while her and Wu-Tyr weren’t siblings since they’d always simply existed, calling them siblings, and him my uncle was the best label to use as far as family-like relationships between us went.

While some might think that we’d be more or less at odds because he lived at the very bottom of the ocean and I lived surrounded by magma, we actually got along very well. I appreciated his silence and stillness and the way he didn’t speak until he felt he had something to say. His patience and stillness was as boundless as the ocean. He liked that I was just as happy to sit with him in utter silence as we thought for hours about a philosophical question one of us had posed. He also had a very strong affinity for pearls and corals and was the only one I’d let touch those items in my hoard. I thought it amazing that he could tell me where a certain pearl or coral came from, giving in exacting detail the history of the object.

We had almost identical tastes in books and music. We also enjoyed the same style of clothes for the most part but Wu-Tyr was significantly taller and skinnier than I was, although he called himself sleek not skinny. It made sharing clothes impossible, which disappointed both of us. We each had several pieces the other admired and would’ve loved to be able to borrow.

His hair was a lovely mix of pale turquoise blue with random strands of sandy brown tossed in. He wore his hair on the short side for the most part, the tips not quite reaching his shoulders. The exception to that were twin hanks the width of my palm that framed his face and hung to his waist. His eyes were tilted up at the outside corners giving him an exotic look further helped along by one being gold and the other silver. The mark of his godhood was in the form of a swirling design reminiscent of waves at his left temple that extended down to his cheekbone and a little under his eye.

“You need to fuck someone senseless. The sooner the better,” Wu-Tyr said as he rolled a large, perfectly spherical pearl nearly the size of his fist back and forth over his hands.

The pearl was his and not mine although I’d tried for ages to get him to part with it. It was an odd greenish-blue colour and I’d never seen one so large and perfectly round. It was wonderfully unique and I’d have loved to add it to my hoard but Wu-Tyr refused to give it up no matter what I offered in exchange. It had become something of a game of offer and denial between us.

It looked like the pearl was defying gravity as it rolled fluidly from one hand to the other but Wu-Tyr had picked up the ability to contact juggle from one of his faithful aeons ago and said he found the motion relaxing. I thought it was fascinating and despite him trying to teach me, I’d never been able to get the hang of it. Wu-Tyr had elegant hands, his fingers long and graceful, making the nearly hypnotic motion of the pearl back and forth seem almost magical although I knew it wasn’t and was the result of literally thousands of years of practice and skill.

“Yes, I know that. I’m working on it,” I grumbled. “The one I want isn’t in a position to be available for what I need right now.”

Wu-Tyr raised an eyebrow at that and a tiny smirk graced his lips. “You do recall that you are a god? You can make the one you want available if you so choose. Assuming that the one you desire is actually unattached and available.”

Like me, Wu-Tyr had no desire to bed the unwilling. Neither one of us would take someone who was already promised to another either even if that person approached us. That wasn’t honourable. We knew we were in the minority among the gods by holding that view but our shared views on fidelity was simply another thing that made us close.

I shook my head. “No, I can’t simply make him available. Edenlei is too precious to do that to. I won’t take from him what he’s not ready to give. He is my pearl.”

Wu-Tyr’s party-coloured eyes went wide and he nearly dropped the pearl he was playing with. I grinned at catching him so off-guard. I hadn’t been able to do that in several hundreds of years.

“You love him? To that degree? When did that happen and how did he manage to capture the heart of a dragon? I demand details on this epic event. Do your parents know of this?”

A soft smile played over my mouth. “Honestly? I’m not sure exactly when it happened. I think it’s safe to say that I’ve been falling for him for the past six years. He’s one of my Geomancers. And no, you’re the only one I’ve told about this development.”

“That should make everything worlds easier then. Taking one of your own isn’t unusual, Saraf, and certainly doesn’t make you unique. You know the majority of us end up with our bed warmers that way. I know you’ve taken some of your Chosen to bed before and it’s never seemed to be a problem for you. It’s much easier to scoop a fish out of your creel than to cast your net into an uncertain sea. Besides which, you said he’s your pearl.”

I rolled my eyes. “It’s not a problem that he’s one of mine. He loves me in return but he doesn’t know that about his heart yet. I don’t want to take him to bed and have him think it’s some sort of... duty or fealty he owes me as his god. I want him to want to be there.”

“And you know he loves you... how?” Wu-Tyr asked with a shrewd look. “You say he loves you but doesn’t know that about his heart, which begs the question of how you know he loves you if he hasn’t been the one to tell you that.”

“Edenlei has been sending me erotic prayers for six years now and over that time the prayers have gotten more detailed and stronger. They’re also not something that happens just once in a while either. It’s not out of the ordinary for him to send me orgasm inducing prayers two or even three times a week. I’d never been able to quite figure out why he was doing that. I’m not a god associated with eroticism. I’ve never actually received any erotic prayers from any of my Chosen except for Edenlei. I went to Ji-Sun to see if he had any insight on the matter. He didn’t know why Edenlei was doing that. Or perhaps it’s better said he refused to tell me why Edenlei was doing that. He recommended that I speak to Ammiel about Edenlei and why he was sending me the prayers he was. It was a rather enlightening conversation with Ammiel.”

“Ammiel spoke with Edenlei? Bold step you took there, Saraf. If Edenlei spoke with Ammiel, then why doesn’t Edenlei know what’s in his heart. He was aware that Ammiel is a god and what he is god of? People don’t generally leave a conversation with Ammiel without finding out what it is they wanted to know. How did Edenlei react to you telling him he’s your pearl?”

“Edenlei wasn’t there. It was just me and Ammiel. Ammiel told me that the answer to my question was one I already knew. So I examined every prayer I’d received from Edenlei and my feelings about them and Edenlei and I knew. I don’t know how I didn’t see it earlier except perhaps I wasn’t looking for love and certainly didn’t expect it to creep up on me like it did. I haven’t told him he’s my pearl. I don’t want to pressure him. I want him to discover he loves me on his own and tell me when he’s ready.”

“You do realize that while you are a god you aren’t infallible. To know another’s heart, mortal or otherwise, is difficult at best and being a god doesn’t make you any better at it than a common mortal. Obviously Ji-Sun knew but that is his godhood to know and he’s always been frustratingly close-mouthed about telling anyone the truth their heart speaks. I think you may be jumping to conclusions that you want to see happen because of your feelings for Edenlei. He is one of yours so isn’t it possible that you’re mistaking his love for you as his god for something else because you want it to be something else?”

I shook my head. “I know this is true. I was surprised at first, of course. Not only that I loved him but that he loved me in return. When I saw him after my revelation with Ammiel, I really looked at him using my third eye. I know what I saw. In his heart he loves me not just as his god but as a lover. I’m not deluding myself or projecting things onto him that aren’t there.

“The colours surrounding him were so very beautiful,” I said with a soft smile in remembrance. “I know what the colours of love and devotion to me as a god look like. I see that frequently among my Chosen. That was there surrounding Edenlei, of course, but the colours associated with romantic love, soul-deep love, those were there, too and those were far stronger than the other colours. Those colours didn’t appear in his aura until he looked at me so I know it was the sight of me that made them appear for me to see. He loves me as a lover, Wu-Tyr. That love for me is far stronger than his love for me as his god. Of that I am absolutely sure.”

Wu-Tyr made a non-committal noise in his throat and fell silent. The pearl started its hypnotic journey back and forth over his hands. It was nearly an hour before Wu-Tyr spoke again although neither one of us minded the prolonged silence as we thought.

“What else about him are you not telling me, Saraf. Something is making you have the tiniest seed of doubt about what you say you know is true. I know you and regardless of what you’ve said, you’re not one hundred percent sure of what you say you know. Ninety-nine point nine percent sure but not one hundred percent sure.”

I sighed softly. This was one of the reasons that I valued talking to Wu-Tyr. He thought like I did and would spend the time examining the problem from all possible angles before offering a conclusion even if doing so took several hours, days, weeks or even longer. I was grateful to the servant who’d sent a note to Wu-Tyr to come talk to me. I probably would’ve thought of it myself eventually if my mind wasn’t so wrapped up in Edenlei.

“He’s a virgin. While I adore the idea that I will be his first and only lover, it worries me a little that he’s never experienced sharing his body with another. How can his heart be so sure that I am the one to receive his love when he’s never tested his wings by flying passionately in another’s arms? I don’t want anyone but me to taste his pleasure but at the same time I want him to make an informed decision by having had experiences outside of me. But just the idea of somebody sharing his passion makes rage boil up inside of me and I fear that if it were to happen, I’d be bring some godly level wrath down on the head of the unlucky soul who dared to touch what’s mine. That’s very contrary and wholly illogical and I’m making myself a little crazy thinking about it.”

Wu-Tyr shrugged one shoulder. “So being a virgin precludes him being able to judge his own heart? Is he simple? Easily lead? Has he had no offers or made no offers to join someone in bed?”

“No, he’s bright with a quick and skillful mind. He couldn’t be a Geomancer if he wasn’t. He’s actually my most powerful Geomancer at the moment and he hasn’t reached the full extent of his power yet. I’d go so far as to say that he’s in the top ten most powerful I’ve ever had and it’s not because I love him that I’m saying that. He simply is that skilled and powerful although I’m sure he doesn’t realize his potential yet as he is still quite young. He’s quiet and studious and seems to keep mostly to himself for the most part. He has a few close friends but he isn’t the most social of people, preferring books and scrolls over his fellow Fire Elves. He can be sociable and very engaging. He chooses not to be for the most part.

“He doesn’t have the right looks for the current ideal of Fire Elf beauty but he’s certainly not ugly. Had he been born a thousand years ago, he would be considered close to the ideal among the Fire Elves. I think he’s quite stunning with a unique beauty all his own. I’m amazed and grateful that someone hasn’t managed to woo him to their bed. He’s mentioned in prayers being asked to join others in bed but he always politely declined saying it didn’t feel right. I really do believe that’s because he knows, on some level, that he belongs exclusively to me. He’s never spoken of wanting to join anyone in bed and truthfully, I don’t think he realizes that he’s sending me erotic prayers when he pleasures himself while thinking of me and calling my name.

“Recent events led him to pledge himself to me, however I chose, for the rest of his life. I gave him the opportunity to take back his oath since it was given under extreme duress. He refused and I swear to you, Wu-Tyr, there was true pleasure in his eyes at the idea of serving me beyond the level he already does. I told him that I would come for him to claim what was mine and he looked thrilled.”

Wu-Tyr looked thoughtful as he played with the pearl for a long time before speaking again. “So, it would be safe to say then that you’ve had this treasure sitting right under your nose for quite some time. You’re not usually this slow to grab and hold onto treasure, Saraf. Are you perhaps afraid of what his reaction will be when his fantasies of you become real? I don’t mean your performance in bed either. At the risk of inflating your ego, I can say from personal experience that you’re quite skilled and a very pleasing partner between the sheets. It’s my guess that you don’t want to give up what you already have with Edenlei in case the reality of what you are, dragon and god and all the things that come with that heritage, frightens him away.

“You are a child of the Elder God, Su-Gyn, Goddess of the Sun, and a god in your own right. You’re also a Platinum dragon, child of Auxshunoriz, king of Metallic dragons and ruler of the astral plane of fire, second in draconic power only to your father. Some of your family regards you with a bit of caution because of what you are. Some outright fear you because of either your draconic side or your godhood depending on which side of the family tree they’re on.

“We’ve already established that you love Edenlei so that’s not in question with regards to this doubt you have. I’m also willing to concede that you’re correct about what you saw in Edenlei’s aura when you looked at him after the revelation by Ammiel. The question I’d say you’ve been avoiding is do you believe Edenlei loves you as the person you are, god and dragon together, or does he love the ideal of you that he’s been fantasizing about for the past six years?”

Well, damn. Once it was put that way, I realized Wu-Tyr was right. Through Edenlei’s prayers I’d learned much about him but there were still things I didn’t know. Like what his reaction would be to me as a whole. Would or could he accept me as I was? To love a god was one thing. To love a dragon was something else entirely. I couldn’t be just a god or just a dragon. I was both those things and one couldn’t exist without the other. I was suddenly more nervous at the thought of the next encounter with Edenlei than I could ever remember being in my entire long life.

I startled when Edenlei’s voice filled my head. He prayed to me, telling me that he’d kept his oath to me and asking me what I would have him do next. It was a simple enough prayer on the surface but I knew him and his prayers and could detect the hint of excitement and nervousness along with a small chaser of arousal. Wu-Tyr smirked at me.

“He’s sending you a prayer right now, isn’t he? Go to him. Find out if he accepts you, all of you. If he does, hold tight to him for he truly is a treasure worthy of both a dragon and a god. I wish you the best of luck, Saraf. Everybody deserves happiness and to find their heart’s desire. Fate willing, I’ll find mine someday.”

Wu-Tyr vanished and I blew out a short breath. I wasn’t entirely certain how the meeting with Edenlei would go but I was hoping for the best. I called Prasiolite and Rhodolite to me and explained about needing to go out for a while. I stressed to them that I would return as they were a little clingy with me, which I suppose was to be expected given the circumstances of their hatching. I further told them that in the unlikely event of something happening and them needing to escape, they were to step into any flame and would immediately be brought to me regardless of where I was. I touched them both on the forehead, placing a sigil on them that would be activated the instant they walked into a flame. I drew in a fortifying breath and went to where Edenlei prayed for me to appear.


	5. Chapter 5

** Chapter 5 **

~Edenlei~

The trip to the hot spring was uneventful but it was definitely a path that a Geomancer would need to create. The jungle was very dense and I highly doubted anything but a few animals had come across the place I was headed too. There were some nasty thorn-riddled trees at one point that could honestly cause significant injury to a person if they weren’t careful. I saw some thorns that were as long and thick around as my index finger and they weren’t only on the trees, but were also scattered around the base of the trees where they’d either fallen or been broken off.

The hot springs were lovely though. There was no rotten egg smell, for which I was grateful as that would be a definite mood killer and I’d have had to search for a new place. The water was the most unusual shade of pale lavender and I’d never seen anything like it before. The water was also very, very hot. Almost uncomfortably so even for a Fire Elf and we could tolerate heat exceptionally well. Tall, reed-like plants with dark purple stalks and puffy deep pink tufts at the top surrounded the spring and nodded in the gentle breeze. Red-brown moss lined the edge of the spring and ancient palm trees towered over the small clearing where the spring was, throwing part of the spring into welcoming shade. I knelt in the shaded area and began to pray to Saraf, telling him that I was keeping my oath to him and asking what he would have me do next.

“Why have you come here to pray to me, Geomancer Edenlei? I would have heard you just as easily in the city. I hear you regardless of where you happen to be,” Saraf said in a soft voice.

How long I’d been praying, I couldn’t have said but I didn’t think it was very long as I still knelt in the shade and my muscles didn’t feel stiff as if I’d been at it for hours. I kept my head bowed out of respect even though I desperately wanted to look up at Saraf. Now that he’d actually appeared, I had no idea what to say or even how to answer his question. It seemed very presumptuous to say I wanted a pretty, private spot where Saraf could screwed the daylights out of me because I wanted someplace special for my first time even if that was completely true.

“I don’t see an offering either unless you’re hiding it somewhere,” Saraf said with a touch of amusement in his voice at my continued silence.

I licked my lips. Remaining silent wasn’t going to do any good especially since it was because of my prayers that Saraf had come to see me. I really hoped Fanji was right and that I wasn’t about to insult or piss off my god with what I was going to say.

“I have an offering but I’m not sure you want it. My friend Fanji said something to me and I wanted to know if it was true or not and it’s directly related to my offering to you.” I bit my lip and wondered if I should be brave enough to look up at Saraf while I asked him if he was going to fuck me.

“And what did he tell you, Geomancer Edenlei, that made you come all the way out here and pray to me so heartfelt?” Saraf asked curiously.

“He said that gods seem to enjoy taking virgins to bed, which I already knew, and given what you’ve said to me and your actions, you’ve staked out a claim on my ass.” I dared to raise my head and look up into Saraf’s face. “I want to know if it’s true that you intend to fuck me.”

“And if I do intend to fuck you?” Saraf asked his look very direct and frankly, arousing as hell.

“Then my offering this time is my virginity,” I said firmly as my heart pounded in excitement. “When would you like it? I’m ready to give it to you now if you wish.”

“Well that certainly is a very pleasing offering I’d enjoy a great deal,” Saraf said with a small smile. “You sound eager to give me this gift, Geomancer Edenlei.”

My cheeks heated but I wasn’t going to lie to my god. I_ was_ eager to spread my legs for him. Yes, he was my god and I worshipped him but he was also beautiful, desirable and very exotic and erotic to me. I was also thrilled to my core that he would be pleased with my offering of my virginity to him. I wanted him to have it.

“I am eager,” I said firmly.

“Out of fealty as one of my Chosen?” Saraf asked, his stare direct and demanding an honest answer out of me.

That was a good question and one I completely understood him asking me. Even though he was a god and certain things were his due, I suspected that having someone in your bed out of duty wasn’t nearly as pleasurable as someone who wanted to be there because they were attracted to you. Of course, he was a god and I wasn’t going to pretend I even had an inkling of his mind and I could be projecting my own views onto him. But I was one of his Chosen and I had more understanding of him than the average person. Or at least I thought I did.

“No. I’m eager because you’re beautiful and I find you very desirable. To have the opportunity to join you in bed is beyond my wildest imaginings.”

“Beyond your wildest imaginings? Anything else you’d like to add to that statement?” Saraf asked, pleasure and amusement colouring his voice as he gave me a very knowing look. He also seemed to relax ever so slightly.

I started to answer “no” but stopped and my eyes went wide. He couldn’t know. Could he? Saraf was a god but it wasn’t like I’d been praying to him as I jerked off. Fine, I had been thinking of him as I’d pleasured myself and I may have moaned his name once or twice or a dozen and a half times as I came, but those weren’t prayers. Were they?

The subject of whether or not masturbating to thoughts of Saraf constituted prayers to him had never come up in acolyte training and I highly doubted anybody had ever thought to address the issue. My cheeks burned at the thought that Saraf knew of every single time that I’d orgasmed while thinking of him, calling out his name as I spurted over my belly. I took a steadying breath. Nothing to do but answer honestly since he already seemed to know about my erotic activities centered around him.

“Going by your expression, I’m assuming that I was unintentionally praying to you as I jerked myself off to thoughts of you that were not about worshipping you as a god. I’m a little embarrassed that you know how many times I did that. You don’t seem to be offended by that but if I have offended you, I’m deeply sorry and will humbly accept whatever punishment you see fit. However, you should know that I’ll probably do it again because you arouse me and the best, most powerful orgasms I have are when I’m think of you as I pleasure myself.”

Saraf’s smile was glorious. It was a mix of pleased and predatory. In that instant, I knew I wouldn’t be leaving the hot springs with my virginity intact, which was better than fine with me. I hadn’t been hard while talking to him but that smile filled with sexual promise sent fire rushing through my veins and straight to my groin. I exhaled softly as my cock went from soft to hard so fast it almost hurt. Giddy excitement swirled through me and I sincerely hoped that I didn’t embarrass myself by coming the second Saraf touched me intimately.

“You have a very promising fire in you, Geomancer Edenlei. That’s something that caught my attention early on with you. I was a little surprised initially when I realized what you were doing when I heard those particular prayers of yours. Not many dare to think of their god like that so consistently and frequently. Never has one of my worshipers or one of my Chosen done what you did in your passion without first having the pleasure of joining me in bed. No, I’m not offended or angry with you. Intrigued and quite flattered, most definitely. Have you perhaps been holding on to your innocence in the hopes that it would tempt me more and perhaps get me to answer those particular prayers?”

“No. I never thought I was praying to you when I did that. I never would’ve presumed that praying to you like that would get me an invitation to your bed either. I just... every man I had a passing interest in was compared to you and they couldn’t hope to compete. That’s not fair to them and sets my standards impossibly high but it also wasn’t like I had a crowd of potential bedmates knocking at my door. I probably had only half a dozen men ask me to join them between the sheets once I became old enough to have a lover. Fanji has told me that I have a reputation for being a far too serious person and a cold individual among our people, which, to be honest, is quite hurtful. I’m not cold. I’m cautious and a little shy around those I don’t know well.”

Saraf smiled at me and cupped my cheek, his thumb brushing lightly over my bottom lip, causing my heart rate to easily triple and my cock to throb in time with my accelerated heartbeat. Just that simple touch felt amazing. I could easily become addicted to Saraf’s touch. A deep certainty settled within me that after I had sex with Saraf, nobody else would ever light a fire in me as he could. I’d probably remain celibate for the rest of my very long life after welcoming Saraf into my body. It was a price I’d very willingly pay.

“Ahhh, but they don’t know you like I know you, do they? They have no idea of the passionate nature buried inside you. Volcanic I’d go so far to say. Sleeping and peaceful until just the right elements come together and then... then it’s heat and flame and a powerful uncontrolled explosion of molten essence before going quiet again until the next time the pressure builds needing to be released.”

I barely managed to swallow down the wanting moan that tried to leave my throat at Saraf’s words and gentle touch. My cock was now so hard my skin felt tight and ultra sensitive. I briefly wished that I’d jerked myself off before setting out on my quest to get Saraf’s attention as I was now pretty well positive that the second he touched me in a more intimate place than my face, I was going to come in an explosive fury like he described. Hopefully he’d see that as a compliment to how much he aroused me.

Saraf extended his dragon hand to me and for a moment all I could do was stare at it in excited fascination until I realized that he meant for me to take his hand and stand. I placed my hand in his and stood, a thrill shooting down my spine at actually touching what I’d spent a considerable amount of time thinking about caressing. It seemed a little silly to be so intrigued by a hand and arm but I had always been seen as a little... off by the other Fire Elves.

Standing, Saraf was taller than me but not by a lot. My eyes were level with his nose so he was likely only a few inches taller than me. I kinda liked the fact that he was bigger than I was. It seemed right but that was probably because he was a god and simply should be more... everything than me. The tips of my fingers played gently over the edges of the large golden scales at his wrist and heat pooled in my balls making them ache in the best way possible. I was suddenly absolutely sure beyond a shadow of a doubt that the second Saraf touched my cock I was going to come in a huge, body-shaking mess. Saraf must’ve seen something he wasn’t expecting in my expression because his eyes widened slightly in surprise.

“You’re not bothered by my draconic heritage are you?” he asked with a speculative look in his eyes. “Not even if there could be other dragon traits you can’t easily see that I may have inherited.”

“Bothered by it? Why would I be? I think you’re beautiful. All of you. I... I’ve spent a good bit of mental energy imagining what this hand and arm would feel like if I was ever in a position to touch it. I am allowed to touch and explore your arm aren’t I?” I asked hesitantly. Part of my mind still wasn’t sure that what was happening was real so I had to ask. “I mean in addition to touching you in general.”

Saraf chuckled softly. “Of course you can touch my arm and anywhere else you wish. You are most wonderfully unusual, Geomancer Edenlei. Quite a few who offer to share my bed are put off by my dragon side when they see it for themselves yet you seem to embrace it.”

“I think you can dispense with my title considering what we’ll be doing soon. Of course I embrace your dragon half. It’s part of who and what you are. To not accept it would be to ultimately reject you and that, I’d never do either as my god or as my lover.”

Saraf’s eyes went wide. I wasn’t sure what I’d said that surprised him that time but I obviously had somehow.

“You really are quite a unique treasure that’s been hiding under my nose for a good while. I should listen to Ji-Sun and Wu-Tyr, more often,” Saraf said cryptically before pulling me into his arms and pressing his lips to mine in a kiss that stole all thought from my head.

I’d liked the kisses I’d gotten from Saraf on the beach. The kiss he was giving me now made the ones on the beach seem like chaste experiences when they most certainly hadn’t been. His mouth was hot, sensual and demanding. When his tongue pressed against the seam of my lips searching for entrance, I automatically opened my mouth to him. His tongue plundered my mouth and the only thing I could do was cling to him and press myself tighter to him. I never dreamed that a kiss could be so erotic. When Saraf pulled back from the kiss I wasn’t able to stop the wordless protest that left my throat.

“Do you have your heart set on this place being where you give me your offering or do you feel comfortable with my choosing the location?”

“Wherever you wish is fine with me, Lord Saraf,” I said a twinge of disappointment nipping me that the lovely hot spring wouldn’t be where I gave my virginity to Saraf. I’d been hoping to have a physical place that I could visit again to replay mentally what I’d soon experience with Saraf. I’d be thrilled to share his bed more than this one time but I honestly didn’t see that happening. Once I’d given my virginity to Saraf, there would be nothing special enough about me to keep the interest of a god.

Saraf studied me, his third-eye opening wider than I’d seen it before. He sighed softly and shook his head at me at tiny frown forming. A flutter of mild panic swirled through my belly at that and I had no clue what I’d done to annoy him. I wanted to drop to my knees and beg forgiveness but his hold on me prevented that.

“As you said, we can dispense with titles given what we’re about to do. Saraf will be fine between us. Tell me what you want not what you think I want to hear. I want honesty from you, Edenlei, not things to appease your god. If this is where you want to be, then this is where we will be. I simply didn’t want to share the possibility of the sight of you coming undone with anyone else. That pleasure is mine and mine alone,” Saraf said with a note of finality in his tone.

A smile turned up the corners of my lips. May the gods bless Fanji. He was right when he’d told me to be honest with Saraf about what I wanted. Granted I had thought Fanji meant that about the actual sex act and not other things, too, but Fanji had a lot more experience in relationships than I did even if this was to be a fleeting, one-time thing between me and Saraf.

“I’d like to stay here,” I said softly. “The island is still mostly unexplored and I know I’m the first among our people to have discovered this place. That’s why I chose it as where to pray to you. I wanted someplace private and pretty on the chance that you would want my offering of my virginity.”

“Then we stay here,” Saraf said firmly. “And I most definitely do want all of what you’re offering me.”

There was a loud whooshing noise and my mouth dropped open in surprise as a wall of white-blue flame suddenly shot easily twice as high as my head into the air around the edge of the clearing. I felt no heat from the fire that abruptly raged around us and the trees and grass didn’t appear to be catching on fire. I looked at Saraf, a question plain on my face.

“I am the God of Primal Flame,” he said with amusement. “All fire is mine to control. The flames are harmless to us, the plants and animals. However, should anyone decide to investigate this spot, they’ll be incinerated before they make it within ten feet of the flames. I truly don’t intend to share you with others while we’re lost in pleasure.”

“Thank you, Saraf. What happens now? I mean, I know, more or less, what will happen shortly and I’m quite excited for that but I’m a little unclear of the getting from here to there. Do you want me to strip? Do I lie on my back and spread my legs or get on all fours with my ass in the air or... what?”

“Naked is my preferred way for sex and I’d be satisfied to have you either on your back or on all fours,” Saraf chuckled as he held me in his arms, his dragon hand stroking gently up and down my back giving me erotic shivers. “But sometimes just shoving your pants to your knees and going at it works, too. I’d say it depends on the moment.”

“Well that’s not terribly helpful. This is my first time and a little direction would be nice,” I said in perfect seriousness even as I tried to stop myself from grinding my groin against his thigh. By all that was holy, Saraf was incredibly erotic to me and he was doing nothing more than holding me in the circle of his arms and stroking my back through my tunic. I was beyond thrilled to feel his erection pressing against me and to know that I was arousing to him.

Saraf tipped his head back and laughed before kissing me hard on the lips and stealing my breath. By all the gods, he could kiss a person senseless. Not that I was complaining. If he was that good at kissing, I could barely wait to see how good he was at the actual sex part.

“Surprisingly sassy, shy and enticing all at once. Quite the combination. Undress for me, Edenlei. I don’t want to accidently ruin your clothes in my rush to get them off you and I doubt you have a lot of spare ones given how quickly your people needed to flee the eruption. Remove the comb and put it someplace safe as well so it doesn’t get damaged or lost.”

He noticed the comb? True, I’d used it for him but I hadn’t really thought he’d take notice of it.

“Didn’t think I’d notice the extra effort you made to please me? Since I’ve been looking, I’ve noticed a lot about you, Edenlei. For one, you have lovely hair. Of course I’d notice if you did something different with it. You have wonderfully expressive eyes, too. Rather unusual colouring for a Fire Elf. It’s been a very long time since I’ve seen a Fire Elf with ice blue eyes and even longer still since I’ve seen one with dark lavender pupils as well. They’re very pretty,” Saraf said as he let me go.

My cheeks pinkened at the compliments. I didn’t fit into the Fire Elf standard for beauty. My features were too strong for that. My almost always serious expression didn’t help either according to Fanji. Most Fire Elves thought my eye colour was weird, not being the typical yellow, orange or highly desired red eyes we usually had. I only knew of a dozen other people with blue eyes and none of them had eyes anywhere near as light as mine and none had the coloured pupils like I did. I wasn’t ugly, or at least I didn’t think I was, but I rarely got complimented on my looks. I did have nice hair though and considered it my best feature especially after the blessing that Saraf gave me that turned some of it red. Red hair was a mark of favour from Saraf and oddly enough not a common colour for Fire Elves.

“My great-great-grandmother had eyes like me. She was one of your Clerics. It’s her comb that I have in my hair.”

Saraf studied my face for a moment before he smiled softly. “I think I remember her. If it is the same person, then she is most definitely where you get your sass from.”

For some reason I felt ridiculously pleased that Saraf seemed to remember one of my ancestors. He could’ve been just saying that but from everything I knew about him, which was actually quite a lot, he wasn’t the type to say things he didn’t mean. I removed the comb from my hair, pocketing it and gave my head a shake, the long strands sliding free to hang down to my hips. Saraf made a sound of approval in his throat before catching some of the red strands in his fingers and letting them slip over his hand.

“I have to say that I like that you follow the old tradition of letting your hair grow and not cutting it short as so many men do now. It truly would be a crime to shear off something so beautiful. It pleases me to see it long. Never cut your hair, Edenlei,” Saraf said godly command plain in his voice.

“As you wish, Lord Saraf,” I said with a small head bow, accepting his decree. I looked back up at Saraf. “Is that why you blessed me and turned some of it red? That doesn’t seem like a very good reason to give me something as precious as the blessing of a god. It seems sort of frivolous actually. Not that I’m complaining or questioning you but I am confused as to why you did it.”

Saraf chuckled again. “Submissive to my wishes and yet those sparks of sassiness pop out. This will be a very good for both of us. I did it because it pleased me to put a mark of my favour on you. I also wanted others to see that you were mine and to tread lightly were you are concerned.”

I smiled at Saraf, giddy pleasure at his words filling me. If he said it would be good between us, then I had no doubts it would be. I gasped when his clothes suddenly disappeared and he stood before me gloriously nude. My mouth went dry and I had an almost uncontrollable urge to drop to my knees and take his beautiful erect cock into my mouth and worship him in a very intimate way. I’d never had a dick in my mouth but I’d spent a lot of fantasy time in my head sucking Saraf off. I seriously hoped that those erotic daydreams counted as some kind of practice for the real thing because the last thing I wanted to do was disappoint Saraf because of my inexperience.

“Do you need help after all in undressing?” Saraf asked as he stared at me with lust in his eyes.

I shook my head and hurried to undo the belt at my waist. I dropped the belt over a small bush and shrugged out of the sleeveless hip-length tunic I wore, adding that to the bush as well. My shoes were toed off next and I rested my hands on the waistband of my pants for a few brief seconds as nerves attacked me at appearing naked and very aroused in front of Saraf. Before those nerves could explode into mortifying shyness, my hands were moving automatically and undoing the tie to my pants. I stepped out of my pants, added them to the pile on the bush and faced Saraf, my chin held high and my cock jutting out in readiness.

“Bold and brave, too. I like that in a lover. Come here, Edenlei,” Saraf said as he held out his dragon hand to me.

“I should warn you that I’m really excited right now. So much so that there’s a very good chance that I’ll completely embarrass myself and come the second you touch me anywhere intimate.” My cheeks heated a little at that admission but I felt I needed to tell him how excited I was to share my body with him.

Saraf shrugged one shoulder. “If you do, you do and I’ll take that as a fine compliment. You can orgasm more than once during this encounter. Actually, I’m hoping on wringing more than one from you.”

“Oh. Well. Okay then. Will you come more than once, too?” I asked as I stepped closer to Saraf.

“I think with the proper motivation and attention from you, that’s a very distinct probability,” Saraf said with a smile as he took my hand and pulled me into his arms.

A soft moan left my throat as Saraf brought our bodies together. His skin felt better than good against mine. His hard cock pressed against my belly and a warm flush moved over my skin at the knowledge that very soon I would have him inside me. I was a touch nervous of that because he seemed very large now that he was pressed so intimately against me but the want to have him filing me easily drowned out the nerves. I adored how hot and hard his cock felt against my belly and my nipples tightened in excitement and anticipation. Fanji had seemed pretty sure that Saraf would do whatever was necessary to make taking a cock easier for me. Fanji might tease me a lot but that was something he wouldn’t have joked about.

Saraf kissed me gently, his hands roaming over my back and sides. It felt wonderful to be caressed by Saraf and after a brief hesitation because I still sort of felt like I was dreaming the whole thing, I began to touch him like he was touching me. His skin felt like the finest silk against my fingers and his hair was like sun-warmed satin where it brushed over the backs of my hands. His tongue dipped gently in and out of my mouth in imitation of the act that was to come. I groaned into his mouth when one of his fingers rubbed over my nipple, making the sensitive nub stiffen. I’d never been so aroused in my life and we’d barely done anything.

“I’d like to see if what you said earlier was true,” Saraf said with a teasing tone as he broke the kiss and moved his body just a little apart from mine.

I had no idea what he was talking about. I wanted him to continue kissing and touching me because it felt so damn good. The heat of his body was also a delicious sensation that I wanted more of as well. I reached a hand up, cupping the back of his head to pull him back down for more kisses. He allowed me to pull his head down until our lips were almost touching. Then he wrapped that oh so fascinating dragon hand of his around my cock and stroked me firmly just once from base to tip.

My breath seized in my chest and I cried out as my cock pulsed in Saraf’s hand sending jets of seed over our bellies. Saraf’s mouth crashed down on mine, swallowing my groans of pleasure. My head spun and my knees suddenly felt like wet paper and had about the same ability to keep me standing. I sagged against Saraf, breathing hard through my nose as Saraf continued his rough, dominating kiss. My muscles shook and his arm around my waist was the only thing keeping me from collapsing to the ground in a satisfied heap. Saraf broke the kiss and I stared at him in a bit of a daze, heat rushing to my groin at the hungry look in his eyes, my cock making a valiant but failed attempt to stay hard.

“Volcanic,” Saraf said in a deep voice that was incredibly sexy.

My breath caught when he brought his spunk covered fingers to his lips and delicately licked one of them clean while watching me intently. His third eye almost seemed to glow as he stared at me and that made me feel bold and even a little aggressive for some reason. I caught his wrist and pulled his hand to my lips, closing my mouth over his pinky and sucking it down to the base while holding his eyes with mine.

Saraf actually growled deep in his chest when I did that and his cock throbbed where it pressed lightly against my belly. I sucked on his finger, moving my tongue around it to get every last drop of come. I’d tasted my own seed many times, enjoying the proof of my pleasure, but it was easily ten times more erotic to lap it from his skin. I wanted to know what his come tasted like and if it was as heavenly as I was pretty sure it was going to taste. A smile ticked up the corners of my mouth when I thought that it was probably going to be the nectar of the gods to me.

“I think you’re going to spoil me with these offerings of yours, Geomancer Edenlei. You have quite the talent for giving me things that are exceptionally pleasing.” Satisfaction coloured Saraf’s words and made me feel superbly proud of myself.

I released his finger, kissing the tip. “I am yours and live to serve you, Lord Saraf.”

I wanted Saraf to feel the same kind of pleasure as he’d just given me and it wasn’t anything connected to him being a god and my being one of his Chosen. I simply wanted him to feel good as my lover even if I didn’t really know what to do to bring pleasure to my lover. I slithered out of his arms and to my knees at his feet. Before he had the chance to stop me, I stretched my lips over the head of his cock and took as much of him into my mouth as I could without choking myself.

Saraf groaned my name and his non-dragon hand tangled in my hair, the pressure tight against my scalp but not painful. I looked up at him through my eyelashes and groaned as I watched him lick my seed from his draconic hand, the move intensely erotic to me. His cock was hot silken steel against my tongue and I moaned softly at how good he felt in my mouth. There was no doubt in my mind that no one would ever feel as good as Saraf did. Saraf began moving his hips slowly back and forth as he held my head steady with one hand. I’d never sucked cock before and was a little unsure of what to do. I closed my eyes and let instinct guide me. Saraf would undoubtedly tell me if I did something he didn’t like.

I sucked on Saraf, moving my tongue around in ways that I thought would feel good if I was the one getting his cock sucked. I sincerely hoped enthusiasm made up for inexperience. I brought one of my hands up and cupped Saraf’s balls, rolling them gently and lightly tugging on them as I liked my nuts played with when I jerked myself off. I used my other hand to stroke the length of his cock that I couldn’t fit in my mouth in time with the movement of my head up and down. Saraf sighed in pleasure and his thrusts into my mouth became a little deeper. I didn’t mind that at all. The smell and taste of him was exquisite and I highly doubted I’d ever get enough of him. Saraf’s fingers tightened a little more against my skull and I opened my eyes to look up at him through my lashes again. By all the gods he was beautiful in his sensual pleasure. I kept sucking his cock and Saraf groaned softly, his fingers tightening even more before relaxing.

“You’re bringing me close to the edge, Edenlei. You either need to back off now or be ready to accept my seed in your mouth in the next few minutes,” Saraf warned.

I moaned around the cock in my mouth and doubled my efforts to make Saraf come. Having him empty his balls down my throat would fulfill one of my sexual fantasies of him. Feeling him fill my ass would be the other thing I dreamed about frequently. I knew without a doubt that one was going to happen soon so I saw no reason not to try for as many fantasies as possible right now. He did say we weren’t limited to just one orgasm. Saraf smiled at me and stroked the backs of his dragon fingers over my cheek.

“You’re full of surprises. A treasure indeed. Whatever you wish, Edenlei, if it’s within my power, you shall have.”

Saraf cupped the back of my head with both his hands ensuring that I couldn’t back off his cock. Not that I was going to. Surprisingly, I liked the dominating move. His hips moved faster and deeper, pushing more of his cock into my mouth than I’d taken before but not so much that I was in danger of gagging on it. I adored having Saraf’s dick in my mouth and arousal twisted hard around my balls as Saraf’s grip on my hair tightened a little more. My cock rose and I wanted to stroke myself as I sucked Saraf but I also wanted to give him as much pleasure as I could. I’d already come once. It was his turn now. He growled again and then his cock was pulsing against my tongue, filling my mouth with spurt after spurt of his hot seed.

He tasted even better than I’d dreamed and I had an excellent imagination. His come was a little salty and smoky with a hint of a metallic tang winding through a creaminess that I was immediately convinced really was the nectar of a god. His seed was actually hot, too, like freshly made tea that had cooled only enough to keep you from burning yourself. I held his come in my mouth for several seconds, enjoying the taste and heat, before swallowing it. A whimper of pleasure left my throat at the way it seemed to spread warmth through me as it hit my stomach. I reluctantly let Saraf’s dick slip from my mouth and sat back on my heels, panting a little in excitement. My jaw felt a bit sore but I’d gladly suffer that again and again for the pleasure I’d given and received.

“That was incredible,” I said before licking my lips.

“I think I should be the one saying that,” Saraf said with a sated smile. “An adventurous virgin with quite good cock sucking skills. Have you practiced a lot?”

There was something in Saraf’s voice when he asked that question but I had no idea what the tone meant. I shook my head no.

“I’ve never had the pleasure of anything sexual with anyone. I just did what I thought I would like if it was my dick getting sucked.”

“Truly delightful and wholly unexpected,” Saraf said, his tone of voice changing again, a hint of smugness colouring it.

I still wasn’t able to decipher the meaning behind the change in his tone and mentally shrugged. I was probably reading far more into his every little nuance than I should just because the experience was so special to me. Saraf offered me his hand again and helped me to stand. He turned and led me to the hot spring and giddy excitement rushed through me. I’d watched some of the men of the temple fuck in the bath when they thought they were alone. It looked like a lot of fun and very erotic and I was thrilled that Saraf was going to use the spring in the way I’d hoped when I’d chosen the location.

The bottom of the pool was smooth rock and it got deep fairly quickly. Saraf’s hair swirled around on the surface of the water like fire dancing in the eddies as he moved into the deeper water. It brushed over me, clung to my skin and tangled with my hair that floated on the surface as well. We were still fairly close to the shore but already chest deep in the spring. Saraf turned and pulled me into his arms, kissing me hungrily. My cock was hard and I rocked my hips against Saraf enjoying the wet friction. Saraf broke the kiss and smiled at me.

“Eager for more so soon?” amusement and anticipation was in his tone.

I nodded vigorously. “You already know how often I’ve fantasized about sex with you. Just out of curiosity, how much do you know about what I thought about when I jerked off to mental images of you? I mean do you know the specifics or was it just general feelings of arousal and need that I was unintentionally sending you?”

Saraf began rubbing his hands over me, pressing his fingers into muscles I hadn’t realized were tight. I hummed my approval and copied his movements, a smile forming on my lips when he murmured his pleasure. Arousal still held my balls in a vice but I started to feel relaxed from the combination of Saraf’s gentle massage and the heat of the spring.

“At first, it was simply arousal and need. But, the more you included me in your pleasure, the clearer the details of your prayers became. You have quite the erotic imagination, Edenlei. There were a few times when it was inappropriate for me to have such powerful, vivid prayers from you, but I couldn’t make myself ignore those prayers.”

“I’m sorry if I caused problems for you because of my lust for you,” I said, guilt nipping at me.

“It was nothing more than a little teasing from the other gods and erections that took longer than usual to go away without immediate attention. A few of the other gods are nicely jealous of me now thanks to you and your continued erotic prayers to me. Typically, Ji-Sun, the God of Carnal Desires, is the only one to receive prayers like yours. It’s quite rare for a mortal to offer erotic prayers to a god that isn’t Ji-Sun and even rarer still if that mortal has never shared that god’s bed. You are unique, Edenlei and because of what I am, I can’t help but hoard unique things.”

I didn’t think I was unique but if Saraf thought so and it meant that I got to have sex with him this one time, then he could think of me however he pleased. I was a little sad that once I’d given him my virginity I would cease to be unique but I would have this one moment and I was determined to make the most of it.

I reached for Saraf’s cock, delighted to find him semi-hard. He returned the favour and moved his hand up and down my erection. We stroked each other slowly while trading kisses, letting our arousal smoulder between us. Saraf cupped my ass and gave one of my cheeks a firm squeeze. My breathing quickened and my hand tightened on his cock.

“While I’m really enjoying the kissing and your hand on my cock, I’m hoping you grabbing my ass means that I can have the pleasure of you inside me very soon.”

Saraf grinned at me and kissed me again. “I do so enjoy an eager lover. However, there are things we need to do as this is your first time and I don’t want to hurt you more than I have to.”

“Fanji said it would probably hurt a bit since I’ve never been fucked before. He mentioned stretching and lube but didn’t give me any more details than that,” I said with a slight frown. “He did say that you’d likely have oceans of experience and know what needed to be done and that I would be in good hands.”

“Fanji sounds like a wise and good friend,” Saraf said with a soft laugh as one of his fingers began teasing up and down the crack of my ass.

“He is,” I said seriously even as my breathing sped up at the intimate touch. “He also wants me to tell him all about how amazing it is to share the bed of a god but I don’t think I can do that even for my best friend. I want to keep what happens between us private. It... it doesn’t feel right to share this experience with others.”

Pleasure lit Saraf’s eyes and he kissed me gently. I had no idea what I’d said or done to please him but it made me feel very good to have done so. His finger teased over my hole, pressing gently but never quite entering me. His other hand stroked my cock slowly, the dual sensations stoking the fire already running through my veins. I alternately pressed myself into Saraf’s hand on my cock, fucking the tunnel of his fist, and pushed my ass back onto his finger trying to get him to penetrate me without success. Saraf drew back from the drugging kisses he was giving me but continued to tease the hell out of me by almost but not quite entering me. It felt good, yes, but I wanted more. Much more. I tried to push myself down onto Saraf’s finger but he moved his hand with me, keeping me from getting what I wanted.

“Easy, Edenlei. Water is not a good lube, especially for your first time. The heat of the spring is just to relax you and make it easier for when I do start to open you,” Saraf said as he continued to tease my hole and wind my desire tighter.

I made an annoyed sound in my throat and kissed him putting all the arousal and frustrated need that I could into my kiss while I purposefully stroked his cock. Lust had my balls in a vice from the moment Saraf appeared before me in answer to my prayer but it had been mostly manageable until we were naked against each other and he started playing with my hole. Now my desire felt like a lava flow that moved faster than you could ever hope to outrun. I certainly didn’t intend to run anywhere but to Saraf. I wanted Saraf’s cock in my ass and I wanted it there right now. Yes, I knew it would hurt at least a little but I didn’t care. A few moments of pain would be worth the pleasure I was sure I’d feel once he was buried balls deep in my ass. I kept my eyes open as we kissed and watched as his third eye widened and seemed to glow with an inner fire. Saraf pulled away from the kiss again, seriousness moving over his face.

“You play a dangerous game, Edenlei. I am a god and we have very strong desires. I am also a dragon and the appetite of a dragon isn’t something you should court unless you’re willing to pay the price.”

“I doubt I could ever forget you’re a god and I’ve already said that I’m fascinated by your dragon aspects,” I said with a small smile. “I am one of your Chosen and know more about you than the average person. Granted, I don’t know just how strong the needs and appetite of a god or dragon are but I am confident that you’ll be careful not to purposefully hurt me.

“If you truly accepted every one of my “prayers” to you as I pleasured myself then you know how long I’ve dreamed about this and hopefully how much I want this right now. I’m not stupid, Saraf. I know taking your cock in my ass without preparation is going to hurt especially since I’ve never had anything in my ass and you are exceptionally hung as is befitting a god. I don’t care about a brief bit of hurt. I’m sure that once I get over the initial pain, it’ll be bone-meltingly good. I want this. Now.”

I gasped and went up on tip-toes at the sudden deep invasion of Saraf’s finger into my ass. In my surprise, the short nails of my hand dug into his shoulder while the hand around his cock squeezed it tight making him grunt and thrust his hips forward. He didn’t hurt me with the abrupt breaching of my hole but I wasn’t expecting him to do it. I liked that he took me at my word when he was sure that I meant what I said. His finger felt stunningly good and made me want his cock even more. My eyes fluttered closed as my heart tried to hammer its way out of my chest in excitement.

“Still want to go ahead full speed my sassy little Geomancer?” Saraf asked as he gently wiggled his finger inside me.

“Yes,” I groaned as I went back to standing flat-footed on the smooth rocky bottom of the spring, revelling in the feel of his finger pressed tight inside me. “By all the gods, yes, please. More. I’ve never tried putting anything in my ass, not even my own fingers. If I’d have known it felt this good, I’d have done it every time I fantasized about you as I jerked off, imagining it was you inside me.”

“You flatter and feed the ego of both dragon and god without intending to. I’ve never met anyone like you before. Truly a treasure to hoard,” Saraf said in a wondering, deep, smoky voice. “It is my pleasure and honour to do as you wish, Edenlei.”

Saraf let go of my cock and slid his now free hand under my ass, lifting me off my feet. I reluctantly let go of his cock and automatically wrapped my legs around his waist. A whimper of pleasure twisted from my throat as the position let me grind my cock into his belly while giving him greater access to my ass. He easily moved through the water carrying me to the shore while pumping my exposed hole even deeper with his finger. He had me wriggling like a fish on a hook from the pleasure he was treating me to before he even reached the mossy shore. He knelt, laying me on my back and withdrew his finger over my wordless protest.

“Just a little patience, Edenlei,” Saraf said with a smile as he held out his hand, palm up.

My eyes went wide when a small bottle appeared and floated in the air above his hand. I hadn’t forgotten he was a god and had more power than I’d probably ever be able to grasp. I simply hadn’t expected to see him do anything really godlike while we fucked. The bottle tipped to the side and sparkling red-gold liquid poured from it to pool in his palm before the bottle vanished.

“Spread your legs for me and I’ll give you what you insist you want,” Saraf said as he swirled his fingers through the liquid in his palm, watching me intently like he expected me to say I’d changed my mind about moving so quickly or something.

I wasted no time and moved my legs from his waist, bending my knees and planting my feet firmly on the springy moss that was to be our bed. Saraf brought his liquid-coated fingers to my ass and rubbed them back and forth over my hole. Whatever the stuff in the bottle was, it was amazing. Gentle heat accompanied the slickness and I moaned in pleasure as Saraf pushed a very slick finger into me. He pumped my ass a few times before adding a second finger, making me lightly bite my lip and groan at how good that felt and how hungry it made me for more. Saraf watched me intently, his third eye glowing as he worked my ass with two fingers. I wanted more. Saraf delivered and I gasped and arched my back as he stretched me wider still, pushing three fingers into me. It stung a little but nothing I thought worth stopping over. I think I would’ve cried tears of intense frustration if he’d called a halt to our foreplay and sent me on my way.

“I’m bigger than three fingers, Edenlei,” Saraf warned as he slowly moved his fingers in and out of my ass. His third eye seemed to glow even brighter as he watched me.

“Thank the gods because I want more,” I panted as I wriggled my hips encouragingly. “I want your cock inside me and I want that right now. I’m very sure of that. I’m also pretty sure you want your cock in me. Give us both what we want.”

Saraf smiled slowly and withdrew his fingers. I watched him slick his cock with the liquid left in his palm and licked my lips again. This was going to be so very good. He rubbed the head of his cock over my sensitized hole and I held my breath waiting for him to give me what I wanted with consuming need. He pushed just a little of his cock into me, barely breaching me before drawing back and repeating the move again and again. His teasing was arousing and maddening at the same time making me whine in frustrated desire.

“Saraf, please,” I begged, reaching for him, hoping to draw him close and force his cock into me.

“Do you give yourself freely to the dragon before you? Will you give me everything that you are and hold nothing back? Do you accept the burden of becoming my treasure?” Saraf asked, his third eye glowing intensely.

There was something... extra in his voice that turned my insides into liquid fire and stoked the lust already rushing through my veins. Saraf was most definitely a god and I would never forget that but hearing him speak in that tone of voice reminded me vividly that I was about to live an erotic fantasy that I never thought would actually come true. I didn’t need to think about my answer at all.

“Yes. I’m yours. Only yours,” I gasped as a little more of his cock entered me before sliding back out. My hands gripped his biceps tightly but try as I might, there was no moving him more than he wanted to be moved which was turning out to be a delicious erotic torture that I actually liked.

Saraf smiled and it was a hungry, predatory look that made my belly flutter madly in excitement. His third eye seemed to glow as bright as the sun as he moved his hips, pushing his cock slowly into me without pause. The stretch was exquisite; walking the fine line of pleasure and pain that I had no idea I’d like as much as it seemed I did. It stung madly at first and part of me wanted to try and squirm away from the pain even as another part of me relished it and the primal feeling of being claimed. Saraf didn’t stop his relentless push into me and gave me no time to adjust to the invasion. I was more than a little shocked that I adored the way that made me feel. It felt so incredibly right. I felt like I’d been waiting my entire life for the sensation of being claimed as Saraf was doing now.

It felt like Saraf was filling me forever, the sensation almost too powerfully good, making me feel a little light-headed. Lust pooled heavily in my balls and while I was very tempted to grab my cock and start stroking myself, I was fairly certain that would end with me coming again in less than six strokes. I wanted the bliss of feeling Saraf moving inside me to last a lot longer than that.

“I accept your offering, Geomancer Edenlei. Know that your god is very pleased and honoured with such a precious gift. The dragon in me rejoices that you’ve given me such a priceless treasure,” Saraf said in a deep voice that I felt as much as heard. His voice turned whisper soft and he gently stroked my cheek with his dragon hand. “You are my pearl of immeasurable price.”

Saraf gave one hard thrust and buried the last few inches of his cock in me. Intense pleasure slammed into me and streaked down my spine as Saraf’s cock rubbed hard over something inside me. A scream of ecstasy was torn from me and my back arched as I shot ribbons of seed across my belly and over my chest. Nothing I’d ever done alone felt anywhere near as good as whatever Saraf had just done to me. I actually briefly prayed that he’d do it again very, very soon. I drew in great gulps of air between moans of pleasure as my balls emptied, the sensation seeming to go on for several minutes. My hands slid from Saraf’s arms to fall limply to the moss as I panted, my balls finally empty. I’d wanted to last a lot longer than I had but there was no way I’d have been able to hold that orgasm back. It was just too much pleasure all at once. I felt a little light-headed but fulfilled to the depths of my soul.

“So full of wonderful, erotic surprises. You are meant to be treasured,” Saraf said softly as he leaned forward to kiss me.

A groan escaped me when his doing that made his cock press harder into me. Without my meaning to, my muscles tightened over his cock in response. Saraf growled low in his throat and slipped his arms around me, bringing me up to sit in his lap, his hard cock going deeper in my ass and making me moan at the exquisite feeling. I would never get enough of him. That was going to be my burden to bear for the rest of my life. I draped my arms over his shoulders and wriggled my hips a little, loving the feel of him filling me. The feel of him buried deep inside me and his warm skin pressed against mine was truly a glimpse of heaven for me and I selfishly wanted that for the rest of my life.

Saraf held himself still and ran his hands over my back and sides, the touch soothing and arousing at the same time. As I sat spitted on his cock I looked into his face and suddenly felt like I’d been struck in the head with a hammer as an epiphany of sorrow and joy hit me at the same time. I loved him from the depths of my soul as a lover and would do so until I drew my last breath. Everything about my obsession with Saraf as more than just my god made absolute, perfect sense now.

There would never be any other lover for me. There couldn’t be. I loved Saraf too deeply and with my whole heart. It went beyond what a follower felt for their god or even what one of his Chosen felt. Yes, I loved him as my god but I loved him even more as my lover. My throat felt a little tight and my eyes prickled with tears I refused to shed. I looked down and rested my forehead on his shoulder, unwilling to let Saraf see the sadness I felt at knowing this was my one time with him. I refused to taint this beautiful experience or upset him because I couldn’t have what my heart now cried out for. I drew in slow, careful breaths, willing the tears not to fall.

I’d gladly given him the one thing I had that he would value. I’d do it again in a heartbeat with no regrets but now that I wasn’t a virgin anymore there was nothing special about me that would hold the attention of a god. I drew in a deep breath, drawing the slightly smoky scent of him deep into my lungs, holding it there for several long seconds before exhaling slowly. I pushed aside the depressing thoughts of never again being held by the one who surely cradled my soul in his hands. I would wring every last drop of pleasure I could from the encounter and hold it close to my heart. That would be my treasure, the greatest gift that I’d ever have.

“Edenlei?” Saraf asked softly, concern in his voice. “What’s wrong? Did I hurt you?”

“I’m... I’m okay. I wasn’t expecting something so powerful. Just needed to catch my breath for a moment.”

Saraf chuckled. “I did warn you that gods and dragons had strong appetites.”

“Yes, you did. However, you failed to mention how good it would feel to be on the receiving end of those appetites. I think I’m lucky I didn’t pass out.”

Saraf laughed and tipped my face up to give me a kiss that made my poor exhausted dick try to rise to the occasion. The mind was very willing but the body was having none of that at the moment. I was sure though that mind and body would soon agree on another dance through erotica with Saraf as the lead. How could it not?

“Sassy is a very attractive quality in you, Edenlei. I think you also may be rather good for stroking my ego although some would argue that it doesn’t need any help. It is quite the compliment to bring a lover to orgasm just from entering them.”

“I’m pleased to be of service to Lord Saraf. I live to serve you and am forever yours,” I said with maybe a touch more emotion than I intended to.

Saraf’s expression softened. “I’ll make sure you never regret that decision, Geomancer Edenlei. I’m going to start moving because frankly, you’re testing my control something fierce. Tell me if you’re uncomfortable or something hurts and we can take a moment for you to rest or adjust.”

I nodded and sucked in a sharp breath in delight as Saraf began to move. The feel of him slowly sliding in and out of my ass was exquisite. His mouth took possession of mine, his tongue mimicking the movement of his cock. He held me tight, breaking the kiss only long enough to murmur for me to wrap my legs around his waist and hook my ankles together. His thrusts were powerful and arousing and soon had me moaning and clinging to him. My dick _really_ wanted to rise but wasn’t recovered enough yet from my earlier soul-shaking orgasm and oddly enough, that aroused me even more.

By all the gods, getting fucked by Saraf was better than even my wildest imaginings. He was unbelievably strong, raising and lowering me over his cock as if I weighed nothing. I adored that but I utterly loved the feel of him in my ass. How long he rocked into me I had no idea but my dick was finally able to show appreciation for the bliss he was giving me and hardened to press and rub between our bellies.

“Will you offer me your pleasure again, Edenlei?” Saraf asked, a hungry, demanding look in his eyes.

“Only if you give me yours,” I said around a groan as Saraf circled his hips teasingly.

“As you wish,” Saraf said, his third eye once again glowing brilliantly as he stared at me. “Whatever you desire of me is yours for the asking.”

Saraf’s speed increased and my eyes partially closed at the exquisite sensation and how quickly that, combined with my cock rubbing between our slightly sweaty bodies, was pushing me to another orgasm. I was half convinced that he was going to kill me with pleasure and I was perfectly fine with that. Saraf shifted his grip on me, one arm moving to circle my waist and his beautiful dragon hand gripping my left bicep. Saraf thrust hard one last time and stilled, a deep, rumbling growl sounding from his throat.

I gasped and then moaned at the feel of his cock spurting in my ass. A feeling of rightness and completion settled over me as Saraf held me tight on his cock and filled me with his seed. Incredible heat moved through me and my balls pulled tight, seconds away from releasing. I stared at Saraf, panting and circling my hips the little I was able to, needing just a tiny bit more to find my own pleasure again. He jerked his hips hard one last time, demanding I come for him, and that was all I needed for my orgasm to roll me under. Words I didn’t intend to say tumbled from my lips, the emotions I was feeling too much to try and hold back as I stared at Saraf.

“I love you,” I whispered as my cock pulsed between us, my release so good that it was almost painful and had me panting and moaning softly while I clung to Saraf.

I wouldn’t take the words back. I meant them with every fibre of my being. Saraf’s third eye glowed so bright it almost hurt to look at it directly. Triumph flashed over his face and his mouth crashed down on mine in a powerful kiss. I had very little experience sexually but Saraf’s kiss felt like one of claiming and possession and I liked it. I gave him everything I had in the kiss and hoped that he accepted all that I had left to offer him, as little as that was.

Fire seared over my skin where his dragon hand held me and I cried out into his mouth in surprise. The pain stopped almost as quickly as it started and I tore my mouth from his, gasping for breath. Saraf lifted his hand from my arm and his expression was one of pure male satisfaction as he stared at my arm. I looked at my arm and my mouth dropped open.

Where once was unblemished skin, I now sported a stylized purple-black dragon with wings slightly open and the head thrown back in a triumphant roar to the sky taking up a good portion of my bicep. The initial pain had been stunning but brief. I touched the dragon lightly expecting to feel something different but it felt exactly like the skin around it. It didn’t hurt anymore either and only felt a little tender, like a bad bruise.

“Wha... what did you do and why? What is this?” I asked in confusion as I stared at the beautiful design decorating my flesh.

“Marked you as mine. I asked if you accepted the burden of being my treasure and you said yes. Dragons don’t take kindly to anyone touching their treasures. We mark every single item of ours so we’ll know instantly when somebody has disturbed it. You already have a Blessing of the God of Primal Flame. Now you bear the mark of the Lord of Metallic Dragons. I want any who see you to know you’re mine and that you have a very special place in my world.”

Saraf seemed incredibly pleased with himself. I was thrilled down to my toes that he’d given me such an incredible sign of his favour but I still didn’t understand why. I remembered him asking me if I accepted the burden of being his treasure but hadn’t thought he actually meant physically becoming one of his possessions. I didn’t mind and the idea was actually wickedly thrilling but I didn’t understand why he’d want that.

Yes, what we’d done was absolutely the hottest, most arousing thing I’d ever experienced but I’d been a virgin and had nothing to compare our sex to. I thought it was utterly mind blowing but Saraf had more sexual experience than I could ever hope to have even if I lived several lifetimes and it might not have been as incredible for him as it was for me. I needed to know why he’d given me such favour even if the answer might break my heart.

“Why would you give me such an obvious sign of your favour? Not that I’m complaining but I am confused. I gladly gave you the one thing I had that made me somewhat unique; my virginity. I have nothing left that makes me exceptional or that would hold the attention of a god or a dragon. I’m not beautiful or outgoing or the type of person people gravitate to. I’m... just me and that isn’t special by any stretch of the imagination. Did I truly please you that much?”

Saraf kissed me softly and my breath caught in delight when I felt his cock twitch deep in my ass. How, by all the gods, could I still be feeling arousal when I’d already orgasmed three times in a relatively short period. What sort of godly power was Saraf using on me? Whatever it was, I liked it and I was all for having more of it.

“Edenlei, you’re special even without your virginity, which was a beautiful offering and one I treasure being given,” Saraf said with a small smile as he cupped my face. “You were exceptionally pleasing but that isn’t the only reason I’ve marked you as mine. You’ve proven you can handle a significant portion of the passion of a god and a dragon and there’s not many, mortal or even immortal, that can do that or even want to try.

“You also love me with everything in you. I saw that very clearly when you whispered that you love me. You love me as Saraf, your lover, not Saraf, God of Primal Flame, Lord of Metallic Dragons. You neither want nor expect anything from me in return. Your love for me is like the wind blowing or the tides rising and falling. It just is. You would love me just as much if I were nothing more than a common mortal. That makes you more unique than you can imagine and I’m deeply honoured to be given something so precious as your love. It is without a doubt the greatest treasure I have in my hoard and I will guard and defend it with every drop of power I have. You are truly my pearl of immeasurable price.”

Saraf kissed me gently on the lips again and eased me off his cock, making me whimper a little in protest before laying me on my back on the moss. My mind whirled at what he’d said and hoped surged to life in me that perhaps this encounter wasn’t going to be a one-time thing with him like I’d thought and that I’d get to feel the pleasure of him between my thighs again. Hopefully in the not-so-distant future. I certainly wished with all my heart that was the case.

A soft, warm and damp cloth appeared out of nowhere and pink tinged my cheeks when Saraf lifted one of my legs, exposing my well fucked hole to his direct gaze. He very gently wiped me clean although I squirmed a bit at how sensitive my hole felt when he passed the cloth over it. He made a sound of approval in his throat as he cleaned my ass and that gave me a giddy rush of pleasure.

A tiny smile of satisfaction and possession was on his face as he stared at my hole for several seconds. A positively wicked look of lust moved through his eyes before he slipped his fingers into me and curled them forward, pressing on that wonderful erotic spot inside me. I jolted at the pleasure and the tired muscles in my ass tried to clench even as a little cry of exhausted passion escaped me. My mind was perfectly willing to have him enter me again but my body, weak mortal thing that it was, felt hyper-sensitized and regretfully needed a rest. Saraf withdrew his fingers and studied them briefly before wiping them on the cloth. My cheeks heated at seeing them coated with his seed even as I loved the erotic knowledge that there was more of that deep inside me.

“You didn’t utter one word of complaint or ask me to temper my passion. Matter of fact, you asked for more. I think I got a tiny bit carried away and was a little rougher than I should’ve been for your first time and for that, I apologize. You’re going to be feeling a bit sore I think and sitting might not be the best thing for you right now. That’s perfectly fine though as I intend to hold you in my arms while we wait for your body to rest and be ready for me again.

“It’s crude as hell for me to say this but I can’t help it. I love the way you look right now with your hole stretched open, a little puffy from being used hard and my come still trickling out. It’s incredibly erotic and very tempting for me to shove my cock in you again for more right now. I won’t though. At least not right now. You need to recover but you are more tempting than you know and I will most certainly have you again before you leave this spring. You handled my passion beautifully but haven’t fulfilled my hunger yet. You’re not the only one who wanted more.”

Saraf brought my leg down to rest on the moss before lying beside me and gathering me into his arms. He pulled me half on top of him and kissed the top of my head telling me to rest for a while and that I’d certainly earned it. He stroked his hand up and down my back while his dragon hand rested possessively on my ass, utterly thrilling me with the move. I closed my eyes and sighed in contentment as I listened to the steady beat of his heart under my ear.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Even though the double spacing bugs me, I'm too lazy to correct it from the way Ao3 wants to display it. I don't have double spacing in the word file so I don't know why it puts it in here *frowns*. I apologize for the format change but see previous lazy comment.

** Chapter 6 **

~Saraf~

Edenlei was a comfortable, warm weight against my chest. He truly was a treasure, his love encompassing everything I was without a single second of hesitation. Sex with him was an absolute delight, his responses honest, rich and incredibly arousing. I was a little amazed that he’d been perfectly fine with my demands on his body. While I hadn’t given my desire free rein in deference to him being a virgin and mortal, he had surprised me with the strength of his desire and his eagerness.

I’d been stunned when he told me he loved me. There was no hesitation in his words either. He acknowledged his feelings and stated them directly. Granted, I think his admission surprised him but there’d been no stuttering and no attempt to take back what he said with claims of things spoken in the heat of passion. I hugged him a little tighter to me and kissed the top of his head. He truly was my pearl beyond compare.

I stroke a finger over the design I’d burned onto his arm. I hadn’t really intended to do that. At least not so soon. But when he’d said he loved me and I saw the truth of that in the colours rioting around him, the dragon in me took over and I needed to put my draconic mark on him. I had asked him earlier if he gave himself freely to me and if he’d bear the burden of being my treasure and he did say yes. Fine, he probably had no idea what he was agreeing to and it wasn’t very honest of me to ask him a question like that when I had him in a delightfully compromising position. I’d do it again though because dragons were possessive and territorial and I couldn’t help myself where Edenlei was concerned. I needed him to have visible proof that he belonged exclusively to me.

I didn’t have any excuse for my actions and I would try and explain myself better to him once he woke. I’d done a rather poor job of it initially and I doubted he fully understood what it was to be called a precious pearl by a dragon. I was his god, yes, but my followers worshiped me as such and paid little attention to my draconic side except to note that I had dragon in me. He’d know though that he held a special place in my world that no one else did or could because I’d called him my pearl of immeasurable price. I hadn’t meant to do that when I did but I just couldn’t keep the words from slipping out.

Edenlei deserved honesty and openness from me at the very least. Thankfully he hadn’t seemed upset over the mark although that could change once he learned the true meaning of it. I didn’t think it would but while I was a god, I wasn’t omnipotent, especially where matters of the heart were concerned.

His attitude about himself and how he viewed himself confused me a bit though. He was confident in his abilities as a Geomancer and very capable performing his duties. He was currently my most powerful Geomancer, although I didn’t think he realized that. That wasn’t something I thought because I was in love with him. He simply was that talented and he hadn’t reached the limits of his power yet. He was also smart, had an understated sense of humour and a beauty to him that I was grateful I seemed to be the only one who saw it. Why he thought that he wasn’t anything special or couldn’t hold the attention of a god, specifically me, was beyond me. He’d had my attention for years and would continue to hold it for eternity if I had my way.

I wasn’t sure how to impress on him that he was special. He was special to me and since he loved me, my opinion should be the only one that mattered. I thought about what I knew of his family and gave a bit of a guilty start when I realized that I knew very little about them. In all honesty, I hadn’t thought about what family he had or didn’t have. He was the focus of my attention and those around him didn’t warrant more than a brief acknowledgement. I sifted through my memories and his past prayers for information.

Edenlei had been fairly young, maybe eight or nine, when he lost his father in a storm while the man was out fishing with some other men. That traumatic event had triggered his dormant Geomancer abilities, which sometimes happens. His mother died almost a year later during a disease outbreak that initially looked like just a cold but turned into something far deadlier. Edenlei was sent to live with an aunt and uncle from his father’s side of the family on the island that had recently been destroyed by the volcano.

They’d provided for him but hadn’t appeared to be warm or close. They also didn’t seem to understand his sporadic and uncontrolled Geomancer abilities and weren’t sure what to do with the bright, shy and unusual looking child they were suddenly responsible for. Edenlei entering acolyte training to become one of my Chosen once his Gift had been tested and confirmed. It had been a relief to everybody for him to enter my service, including Edenlei himself. The aunt and uncle died a few years back, one from age and the other from an extreme reaction to an insect sting. Aside from a few cousins who’d also survived the eruption at their previous home but that he saw only infrequently, he was, for the most part, alone. Any connection with his mother’s side of the family appeared to have been lost when Edenlei was sent to live with his father’s relatives.

Fanji, one of my Priests, was the only one who kept Edenlei from truly being alone in the mortal world. They were fast friends and Edenlei had a deep, abiding brotherly love for the man. I was glad that they had declared themselves oath brothers during their time in training. That type of bond was often stronger than one of blood and gave Edenlei strength and a sense of belonging that he hadn’t had since his parents passed.

I was glad to note that Fanji had survived his injuries. The thought occurred to me that I should do something for Fanji for attempting to save Edenlei from Brunthe. Nothing as large as bestowing my favour on Fanji but perhaps pushing him up the ranks of Priesthood a little would be an acceptable thanks for what he’d tried to do. Edenlei obviously thought highly of the man and that was a pretty high recommendation to me. I’d examine Fanji more thoroughly later and determine if he was truly worthy of receiving a higher position in the Priesthood.

As my thoughts turned back to Edenlei I had a nearly irresistible desire to put my god-mark on him. My hand actually itched to do it. Once done, it couldn’t be undone and would tie us together for eternity. It also wasn’t something done without permission from the one receiving the mark. If Edenlei accepted my mark, he’d live as long as I did and have a drop of my power fused to him. For all intents and purposes he’d become immortal. It was possible to kill one that was god-touched but god-killing weapons were required and they needed to be wielded by someone who either had the blessing of a god to kill that person or were god-touched themselves. Of course, a god could kill someone who was god-touched but given the circumstances of a person receiving such a mark, that would incite a holy war. We tried hard not to do that though since the mortals around us suffered deeply then.

Bestowing a god-mark wasn’t something often done but I did have two siblings I was fairly close to who had gone that far for their love as well as two other siblings I rarely saw that had god-marked someone. Rhas-Khan had Eilam and they were so obviously in love with each other it made you smile just looking at them together. They also somehow had an adorable boy together, Malachite, who was just too sweet for words. Fei-Lau, being Fei-Lau, had taken the unheard of step of having two individuals bearing his god-mark at the same time. Fei-Lau and Sleet had been together for ten years before Khale was added to their bond. It was easy to see the love there, too.

I wanted what my brothers had. I wanted a love so brilliant and clear that others could see it the second I walked into a room with Edenlei at my side. It would be a huge step for Edenlei though. He wouldn’t be mortal anymore and he’d have to watch his friends and family age and die while he stayed as he was forever. I could spare him the pain of that but the only way was to not give him my god-mark and let him remain mortal. I knew my grief would be unbearable if I was to lose him when it could so easily be avoided. It would be his choice to accept the mark or not when I offered it and I would honour his wishes even if he refused. I was fairly confident though that he’d want what I was offering him.

Not yet though. I needed to be a little patient and let him get used to the idea of having me in his life in this new way and that I wasn’t going anywhere or losing interest in him. I needed to impress on him that he was incredibly special to me and that I loved him as more than one of my Chosen. He needed to understand that I loved him for himself just as he loved me for myself.

I’d drape him in the finest fabrics and loop strands of gold, pearls and precious gems all over him if I thought he’d let me. It would be beyond easy to pluck some priceless bauble out of my hoard and give it to him. He wasn’t that type of man though. He’d appreciate the gift but it would be just some pretty thing without real meaning because he would know how simple it would be for me to shower him in all manner of finery and jewels. I was a god and a dragon after all. He gave a lot of consideration to finding me things that I would enjoy as offerings. He deserved no less from me.

Edenlei wasn’t a vain or materialistic person. I knew he enjoyed books and he’d had some sadness in his prayers when he’d mentioned losing all but a few books and scrolls when his people fled the eruption. I could give him more books than he’d be able to read in a mortal life time but that wasn’t going to show him how dear he was to me. I rummaged through his prayers and grinned when he wistfully mentioned a particular book that had been lost. I was fairly sure I had the volume and if I didn’t, I would get it and nothing would stand in my way.

Edenlei had willingly put himself into my arms and told me he loved me. That was a gift beyond measure. I would return the gift by showing him that I listened to him and wanted him happy and that he was adored. I hugged him again, my heart skipping a beat to hear him mumble my name in his sleep.

“Lord Saraf, you need to come quick. One of the dragons says she found our sire.”

A thought had a gossamer-light red blanket settle over Edenlei as I turned my head to see Prasiolite and Rhodolite running toward where I lay with Edenlei draped over me. I just barely resisted the urge to swear out loud. I hadn’t had enough of Edenlei and I strongly suspected he hadn’t had enough of me either. However, if what the twins said was true, and I had no reason to think they’d be lying, then I did need to leave right away.

Damn it all to hell and back.

I eased Edenlei off me, a smile curving my lips at his wordless protest. I didn’t care that the twins were seeing me nude. I didn’t want them seeing Edenlei naked. That was for my eyes only. Not that the twins would care. That wasn’t the point. I brushed some hair off Edenlei’s cheek and adjusted the blanket to keep his delectable ass covered and motioned the twins over to a large rock a little away from where Edenlei slept.

As soon as my ass was planted on the rock, the twins scrambled onto my knees, standing so that their eyes were level with mine. Excitement was plain in both their faces. While I was annoyed at having my first time with Edenlei interrupted, I knew how important it was for me to find the twins sire not only to confirm their lineage but to give them a sense of where they came from as well.

“One of the steel dragons, the one with the silvery-blue scales, came back and we heard her tell the copper dragon you left in charge that she thought she’d found the Gemmed dragon that is our sire. She said he seemed to be hiding or something. Like something or someone was chasing him. She said she didn’t know how long he’d be where he was and that somebody needed to find you and tell you right away. You need to go there now,” Prasiolite said with pleading in his eyes.

“We came to get you when the copper dragon said he wasn’t going to call for you when you were busy with your Geomancer and that it’d wait until you got back but that was forever ago. The steel dragon you left to watch us said she wasn’t going to go get you either because you told her to not let us leave her sight. And you were just dozing anyway when we got here so it wasn’t interrupting anything. Please, Lord Saraf, you need to come now and find out if the steel dragon that says she found our sire was right,” Rhodolite said his expression fierce.

I sighed. The steel dragon they described was very reliable and wasn’t one to jump to conclusions which was why she was one of the dragons I’d sent out to look for a Gemmed fitting a particular set of criteria. If she believed she’d found the right one then she probably had. I sighed heavily. My duty to the twins as Metallic dragons came before my pleasure with Edenlei. At least for now it did. I hoped he’d understand that I didn’t want to leave but that I had to.

A little bit of a smile formed on my lips when I thought of something that would help to show Edenlei how much I trusted him and valued him. I could probably leave the twins alone in my seat but I highly doubted they’d stay there and not get into trouble. They were curious and as befitting dragons, had no fear even when they really should have at least a pinch of caution. They’d also need to get to know Edenlei and treat him with the same or close to the same respect they gave me as I fully intended to have Edenlei live with me in my seat. If the Gemmed was their sire and was being chased or hunted, the twins couldn’t safely be with the Gemmed which meant they’d still be staying with me until the Gemmed issues were resolved. Until I knew more, I wouldn’t put them at risk by bringing them together with their sire only to be separated again. That would be needlessly cruel and I was not cruel unless warranted.

Even if the Gemmed turned out to be their sire and whatever threat was after him was eliminated, it was possible that he’d have no interest in raising dragonlings, particularly ones that weren’t actually dragonlings at the moment. Some dragons killed weak or malformed dragonlings and while I thought the twins were adorable, a creature that was dragon through and through might not share the same opinion meaning that the twins could end up being with me for the next hundred years or so until they were mature enough to change to their true form and fend for themselves.

“I’m not pleased to have my time with Edenlei interrupted but you are correct that this is a matter that has more urgency than my personal wants. I have a very important job for the two of you. Edenlei is my pearl of immeasurable price. I need the two of you to watch over him for me while I’m gone to see this Gemmed dragon. He is a very capable man and a powerful Geomancer but he is mortal. You are both mortal as well but harder to hurt and quite handy with the few spells you know. I will know if he’s in immediate danger but you two will be able to see that danger coming before I sense it and do something to protect him until I get to him.

“I also want you to get to know Edenlei. He’ll eventually come to share my home with me and you’ll both need to get along with him should you need to stay with me until you reach a suitable maturity to be on your own. He’s a very smart man and can teach you a lot. Don’t dismiss him because he isn’t a dragon. Dragons gather knowledge from all species they encounter because every species will have a different view on things and understand how things work as it relates to them, which in turn can help you problem solve.”

The twins eyes were wide as they stared at me. I smiled at them and they grinned, their tiny chests puffing out with pride at being handed such an important task. Interacting with Edenlei would be good for them. I had it on excellent authority that children needed to interact with a variety of people and even species in order to have a well-rounded personality. Prasiolite and Rhodolite weren’t exactly children in the strictest sense of the word but they were new to the world and needed to learn how to interact with others. I hadn’t done as much as I should’ve when they were in their egg and I was determined to make up for that. Prasiolite and Rhodolite would be well educated, well-rounded dragons by the time I was done fostering them and Edenlei was going to help me achieve that.


	7. Chapter 7

** Chapter 7 **

~Edenlei~

I slowly opened my eyes to a conversation held in low tones in a language I’d never heard before. I was no longer laying on Saraf and immediately felt a pang at not having him next to me. I recognized Saraf’s voice but had no idea who he was speaking to. My eyes went wide at the sudden realization that I was bare-ass naked in front of what sounded like at least two other people. I glanced over at the bush I’d draped my clothes on and wondered if I’d be able to get to them without making a complete spectacle of myself. I sat up and startled a little when a gossamer thin, scarlet blanket slithered to my waist. Saraf had to have put it over me since I hadn’t brought a blanket with me. I’d never seen anything so fine in my life never mind owned something like the blanket. I was supremely grateful to Saraf’s thoughtfulness and that I hadn’t been exposing myself to total strangers as I slept.

Saraf was sitting about ten feet away from me on a large rock and looked over at me when I sat up. Standing on his knees were small creatures, one a seafoam green and the other light purple. Their skin seemed to shimmer in the light. Saraf looked a little annoyed at first but as he turned to stare at me his expression changed to a hungry one. My belly fluttered and my hole clenched briefly as arousal trickled through me. Saraf sighed, scooped the creatures into his arms and stood. He was utterly naked and the closer he came to me, the harder his cock became until he stood before me, his erection right in front of my face.

I was rather proud of myself for not leaning forward and kissing the cock I so very badly wanted to.

“Although I wish it otherwise, and I’m rather annoyed at having our pleasure interrupted, I need to take care of something urgent,” Saraf said with a sigh. “Know this, Edenlei, I would prefer to stay here with you and try to quiet my hunger for you but duty has raised its ill-timed head.”

I nodded, disappointment strong. “I understand, Lord Saraf.”

Saraf sank to his knees in front of me and set the two perfectly formed creatures on the moss between us. Up close, they looked somewhat Elvish but not quite. I assumed they were male as they had no breasts I could see but that didn’t necessarily mean I was right. They wore loose, semi-open shirts and pants that came to their knees. It was entirely possible they had small breasts hidden under their shirts but I doubted it.

They were beautiful and delicate and looked like perfectly formed adults but in miniature. I highly doubted they stood any taller than hip high to me. I wondered at what they were although I would never be so rude as to ask. I was also curious as to what they were doing with Saraf and how they’d managed to breach the fire that still ringed the spring without any apparent damage.

The seafoam green one looked a little shy while the purple one had a more aggressive look. The greenish one had long, silvery-grey hair a little past his shoulders and palest greenish-blue banding across his eyes. Up close, I could see that his skin did have silvery sparkles and it wasn’t a trick of the light that made it look that way. There were no whites to his eyes. A thin band of dark pink rimmed the edges while the center of his eyes were pinkish-white with a slightly metallic sheen. They were very striking.

The purple one had the same silvery-grey hair but wore it longer to a round mid-back. He had subtle, black, triangular markings vertically from his lower eye lids and a thick, vertical black line on his bottom lip. His skin also glittered although it was more of a blue-purple thing. His eyes were the same odd combination of a rim of darker colour, in his case, blue, surrounding a bluish-white center with the same faint metallic sheen. They both appeared to have long, pointed ears that peeked out of their hair. They were utterly stunning and adorable and I’d never seen any creature like them before.

“This is Prasiolite,” Saraf said as he gently stroked a finger over the silvery-grey hair of the green creature. “And this is Rhodolite,” he said as he ran a finger over the hair of the purple one. “They are brothers, Metallic dragonlings, and are the reason your former home was destroyed. Prasiolite, Rhodolite, this is my precious pearl, Geomancer Edenlei.”

I stared with wide eyes at the two creatures in front of me. These were newly born Metallic dragons? I was awed at not only being introduced to them but just seeing them up close. As far as I knew, no Fire Elf had ever seen a newly birthed dragon, up close or otherwise.

“Edenlei, I need you to watch over them for me while I go deal with some complications of their parentage. I don’t anticipate being gone long, a few days to a week at most. Usually their mother would care for them until they were old enough to be out on their own but she was fatally wounded, laying their egg with the last of her strength before passing. I need to speak with their sire now that he’s been found and it would be best if they were somewhere safe and protected while I do that.”

I was nearly speechless at what Saraf was asking me to do. The responsibility to protect newborn Metallic dragons was... I didn’t think I was up to the task.

“I will do anything you ask of me, Lord Saraf, but surely there are others better suited to this than me. Wouldn’t another dragon be a better choice?”

“There is no other I’d trust with such precious lives than you. You’ll guard them with your life. You are a powerful Geomancer, Edenlei, and Prasiolite and Rhodolite, while small and very, very young, are not defenceless. No dragon, Metallic or not, will dare to harm you with my mark on you. Besides, Eilam, my brother Rhas-Khan’s husband, tells me that it’s important for the young to socialize with a broad range of people and creatures to grow into well adjusted adults,” Saraf said with a smile.

“Then I am honoured that you’ve given me this task. I will not fail you,” I said as I bowed my head.

“You’d never fail me, Edenlei,” Saraf said as he leaned forward, tipped my head up and kissed me on the mouth. “I’ll come to you as soon as I’m done. It probably goes without saying but take none into your bed. You are my pearl and any who touch what is mine will have the combined wrath of the Lord of Metallic Dragons and a god fall on them. They will die slowly and painfully.”

As wrong as it probably was I felt a little giddy at Saraf’s words of possession. Taking anyone aside from Saraf to my bed would never happen. I loved him too much to even consider anyone else. I’d be deliriously happy if Saraf was exclusively mine but that wasn’t realistic as much as it pained me to acknowledge that even if only to myself.

“There is only you and there will only ever be you in my bed. Just don’t dawdle in your task or I’ll be forced to send some heartfelt but highly inappropriate prayers to you with stunning regularity.”

Saraf laughed and kissed me again. “As awkward as that might get for me, I gladly look forward to those prayers of yours. Prasiolite, Rhodolite, listen and learn from Geomancer Edenlei and don’t give him any trouble. He will tell me if you two behaved yourselves or not. I really must go. Pray to me whenever you wish, Edenlei. I may not respond right away if I’m busy but I always hear you and enjoy knowing I’m in your thoughts. Especially your erotic ones.”

I blushed and Saraf kissed me one more time and stood. He waved his hand and not only was he suddenly dressed but so was I. The scarlet blanket was folded neatly beside me. With one last look at me, Saraf sighed regretfully and vanished, the fire that had ringed the spring disappearing with him. I sighed as well. I’d been looking forward to another round of sex with Saraf even if my hole still felt tender.

“Why did Lord Saraf mark you and call you his pearl and why does he still want to fuck you? You’re not pretty and obviously not a virgin any more. I don’t understand,” said Rhodolite, the purple dragonling.

“Rho, it’s not our place to question the will of Lord Saraf,” said Prasiolite, the seafoam dragonling.

“Well, he isn’t pretty, Sio,” insisted Rhodolite. “And being a virgin means that he can’t have a lot of experience so how good of a fuck could he have been? Lord Saraf said we were to learn from Geomancer Edenlei so I’m asking about things I want to learn more of.”

I was a little taken aback by the bluntness of Rhodolite but not offended by his remark on my lack of prettiness. I knew I wasn’t pretty. I’d even said so to Saraf myself. It was a bit rude of Rhodolite to baldly state it like he had, but I was willing to give the dragonlings some leeway as they were technically only a week or so old. It was also entirely possible that there were different rules when it came to interaction among dragons. I wasn’t even going to go near his remark about my bed skills. It was none of his business. Although I was a bit curious about his non-virgin remark. How would he have known I was one before the pleasure of taking Saraf into my body?

“I know I’m not pretty enough to command the attention of a god, although it’s considered rude of you to point out, Rhodolite. Lord Saraf has his reasons for wanting me in his bed and frankly, the whys of that are none of your business. It’s also extremely rude for you to poke your nose into the intimate affairs of others. How would you feel if I asked you to tell me about who joined you in bed and why you wanted that particular person there?” I asked.

Rhodolite shrugged his shoulders and jerked a tiny thumb at his brother. “I fuck him mostly. Sometimes I let him do me but not often. We fuck because we love each other and he likes my cock in him as much as I like my cock being in him. Simple.”

My eyes were wide in surprise. I’d been asking a rhetorical question and I hadn’t expected any kind of answer, most certainly not the one I’d just been given. I wasn’t sure what to make of it either. They were only recently hatched but were apparently sexually active, which boggled my mind. They were also brothers. Siblings doing each other was a huge taboo among the Fire Elves. There were apparently different rules about that sort of thing between dragons. Or maybe there weren’t and Saraf simply didn’t know what the dragonlings got up to once they went to bed so hadn’t corrected them.

“Does Lord Saraf know about that? About you two being intimate I mean?” I asked. “Is that even appropriate for ones your age?”

Prasiolite nodded seriously. “He found us fucking in the stone garden one time. He said we should set wards to make sure that we were somewhere secure next time as we were vulnerable to attack when lost in our passion. Dragons can fuck right after hatching if they want to but can’t lay or fertilize eggs for a century or so.”

“Oh. Well. Okay then. How are we going to get you from here to my home? It’s quite a distance away. Can you two turn into dragons and fly? Or should I carry you?”

“We can’t be dragons yet. Things got all messed up because our mother died after laying our egg. She would’ve told us as we matured in the egg how to change between this shape and our dragon shape but that didn’t happen so somebody will need to teach us. Lord Saraf said that might take a while because it’s harder to learn once you hatch and have all kinds of interesting distractions,” Prasiolite said.

“Why _aren’t_ you dragon-shaped instead of Elf-shaped, if you don’t mind me asking? I would’ve assumed that since you’re dragons, you would’ve been dragons when you hatched.”

“Because there wasn’t room for us to be dragons in the egg all the way to hatching. This shape is a lot smaller. We were desperate to survive so we changed shape so we’d both live. Lord Saraf had to help us hatch though because there just wasn’t room for us to try and break out when we needed to,” said Rhodolite. “It was very cramped in the egg by the time we were ready to hatch.

“We didn’t have the egg tooth we needed to break the shell either because we weren’t dragons. We’d have never been able to crack the shell by ourselves without an egg tooth. Lord Saraf said we almost died in the egg before he broke it open for us. He said twins sharing an egg was rare and sharing an egg all the way through to hatching was very, very rare and usually one ate the other so at least one would live. We refused to do that,” said Prasiolite matter-of-factly.

Wow. I had no idea that there could be twin dragons that shared an egg. I sort of assumed dragons laid a clutch of eggs like lizards or crocodiles. There wasn’t a whole lot of information available on the breeding habits of dragons, secretive creatures that they were. I thought it would sort of seem rude to baldly ask a dragon about how they bred with each other even if I was now intensely curious about it.

“How did you get here, then?” I asked curiously.

“The fire. Lord Saraf said to come to him if something important happened or if we were in danger. He said to step into a fire and it would bring us to him. We heard a steel dragon talking about finding our sire and not wanting to be that person when Lord Saraf found out who he was. They said they’d wait until Lord Saraf finished accepting your virgin offering before disturbing him but we knew it was important so came here right away. Besides, he was finished with you when we showed up,” Rhodolite said.

Prasiolite shook his head at his twin. “No, Lord Saraf wasn’t finished with Geomancer Edenlei, Rho. He wanted to fuck him again. Didn’t you see how hard he got just from walking to Geomancer Edenlei? We’re sorry for interrupting that because getting fucked feels really good but it was very important that we told Lord Saraf about our sire being found. He needed to go before our sire moved on.”

A blush coloured my cheeks and I murmured about it being alright and that they’d done the right thing in coming to Lord Saraf with the news.

“I’ll need to carry you both then. It’ll take about half an hour to get to where I live. I don’t want to drop either of you,” I said as I thought of how to get us all safely to the city. “Hmmm, if you don’t mind, I could tie the blanket like a sling and the two of you could nestle in there safe and sound. I’ll be using my abilities as a Geomancer and will be moving rather quickly and sometimes abruptly and I’d feel a lot better knowing you were both secure and out of danger.”

The twins nodded and watched me tie the blanket across my chest. They were surprisingly light when I offered them my hand to stand on so I could tuck them into the sling. Once they were settled, I knotted the loose ends of the blanket and stood. I cradled an arm under them to keep them from jouncing around and set out for my home. I had no idea what I’d say in answer to the questions I was bound to be asked about not only Prasiolite and Rhodolite but about the mark that now graced my left bicep. Truth seemed the best option but a tiny seed of worry for the twins safety once people found out what they were nagged at me.

The trip home was uneventful and I found myself smiling softly when I got to my room and undid the knot holding the blanket closed. The twins were cuddled together fast asleep. I gently lifted the sling off and set them on my bed near my pillow. I wasn’t going to wake them but I also wasn’t about to leave them alone either. I settled at the foot of my bed to meditate, my ass still pleasantly tender from sex with Saraf.

I wasn’t mediating long before there was a soft knock on my door. I opened it cautiously and grinned when I saw Fanji. He really wasn’t supposed to be up and about yet as he wasn’t quite fully healed but it also wasn’t the first time he’d snuck out of the sick ward. Damia would blister his ears when she found out because she always seemed to find out when Fanji disobeyed her orders. I didn’t doubt for a second that Fanji had been keeping an eye out for my return and wanted all the details of my encounter with Saraf. He was going to be a little disappointed over what I wouldn’t share but I thought he’d also understand once I told him why I couldn’t tell all. I let Fanji into my room and held a finger to my lips, nodding my head in the direction of the bed.

Fanji’s mouth dropped open in surprise and he approached the bed. He didn’t touch the twins but it was apparent that he wanted to. He looked at me, questions obvious in his eyes and spied the mark on my arm. He did the best landed fish impression I’d ever seen, his mouth opening and closing without a sound escaping him. I barely managed to muffle my laughter. Fanji was usually the one teasing the hell out of me and it was nice to leave him struggling to find words for once.

“Okay, there has to be an epic story behind... this,” Fanji said in a low voice with a wave of his hand to encompass the twins as well as the mark Saraf had given me. “I don’t have a lot of time before Damia finds out I’m not where I’m supposed to be so you’d better give me the short and sweet version of events. You can give me the full, glorious details later.”

“Those two are the Metallic dragons that caused the destruction of our home in order to be born. The green one is Prasiolite and the purple one is Rhodolite. Lord Saraf tasked me with looking after them and protecting them while he’s off attending to something. The dragon design on my arm is the mark of the Lord of Metallic Dragons and identifies me as part of his treasure hoard.”

Fanji did his landed fish thing again. “I so need to hear everything in excruciating detail. So, was it as good as I’ve heard to have a god bang the shit out of you?”

I grinned and nodded. “I’ve got nothing to compare the experience to since it was my first time, but I’m going to say that it would be extremely hard to top what happened between us. He wants to have me again and I’m more than willing. I love him, Fanji. Not just as our god but as a lover of the highest order. If he was mortal, I’d have asked him to fuse with me after my second orgasm. Because of my feelings for him, I’m sorry but I can’t tell you about what went between us. It was incredible though and I’m very, very eager for more.”

“Second orgasm? Just how many did you have?”

“Three and they were all amazing.”

“Wow, Edenlei. Just... wow,” Fanji said as he stared at me, a little bit of awe in his eyes.

“Who are you? You’re pretty. Much prettier than Geomancer Edenlei.”

Fanji and I turned to stare at the head of the bed to find both Prasiolite and Rhodolite awake and looking at us. I mentally sighed at the last bit and wondered how I was going to get through to Rhodolite that what he’d said about Fanji being much prettier than me was rude when I was standing right there to hear him say that. Even if it was completely true. Fanji was very pretty.

“This is my best friend, Fanji. He’s a Priest of Lord Saraf. Fanji, this is Prasiolite and Rhodolite, the new Metallic dragons,” I said even though I’d already told Fanji who they were. Dragons or not, everybody should have at least basic manners and apparently it was going to be my task to try and teach the dragonlings some.

“Does Lord Saraf know you love him like you say you do?” Prasiolite asked curiously. “And what’s this fusing thing you mentioned?”

They heard that? Had they only been pretending to be asleep? Sly little creatures. I’d need to stay on my toes with them.

I nodded. “Yes. I told him. Fusing is something my people do when they want to be with one person and only that person for the rest of their life. You promise to forsake all others for that one individual when you fuse with them.”

“You did that already,” Rhodolite said with a tiny frown. “You told Lord Saraf that there would only ever be him in your bed. We heard you say that. Were you lying to Lord Saraf then?”

“No. A fusing must be wanted by both people for it to happen. Promises are exchanged by both people and then there’s a party with dancing and drinks and food,” said Fanji.

“Can we get something to eat? Lunch was a very long time ago,” Rhodolite said dropping the subject of fusing in favour of something he obviously felt was more pressing.

“Sure. What do young dragons like to eat?” Fanji asked with a grin as he sat on the bed near the twins.

“Rho likes sweet things. I like fish best,” Prasiolite said as he approached Fanji and stared at Fanji’s face. “Rho’s right. You are prettier than Geomancer Edenlei but he has beautiful eyes. Yours are plain, boring, red.”

Fanji looked startled for a moment before he started to laugh. “No filter on their mouths. I’m assuming we’re bring them out into the dining room to feed them? This is going to be interesting as hell when they hit the room.”

“Yes, well, manners are something we will need to work on. At least for whenever they have contact with non-dragons. I’ve no idea what interaction between dragons is like and they could be acting entirely appropriately for dragons,” I said to Fanji.

“Prasiolite, Rhodolite, you’ll need to stick close to me. We’re in Lord Saraf’s temple and you should be safe here among the Priests, Clerics and Geomancers but I want to take as few chances as possible with your safety. I think it would be best to carry you as I don’t want somebody stepping on you or you getting left behind because Fanji and I are walking too fast. Or even having somebody snatch you away. There’s going to be all kinds of questions, too, but please let me answer, okay?”

Prasiolite and Rhodolite looked at each other for several long seconds before nodding their heads. I went to the bed and picked them up, amazed again at how light they were. I was surprised when they both scrambled from my arms to perch on my shoulders, tiny hands tangling gently in my hair to hold themselves steady.

“Ohhh, Geomancer Edenlei has really soft hair,” Prasiolite said as he pulled some of it forward and draped it over his lap, petting the strands with one hand.

“It smells nice, too. Like mangos and almonds,” Rhodolite said as he intensely sniffed my hair before rubbing his face in it. “You have beautiful hair, Geomancer Edenlei.”

“Thank you, Rhodolite. It’s sweet of you to say so. Let’s get something to eat. There isn’t a large selection of food right now because we’re still rebuilding but we should be able to find something for both of you. Don’t take more than you can eat as we can’t afford to waste food. Start small. You can go back for more if you’re still hungry. Say please when you ask for something and thank you when you’re given something. Understand?”

The twins replied yes and I drew in a breath as I reached for the door handle. I could’ve kept them in my room and simply brought them food and drinks but I could see them getting bored fast within the small space and venturing out without me, which could be a disaster of epic proportions. It was better if I introduced the twins to the people in the temple and impress on my fellow chosen of Saraf what a great honour it was to have the new Metallic dragons as guests at the request of Saraf. At least that was the plan I was going with. Hopefully, Saraf wouldn’t be gone very long and my babysitting job would be over shortly.


	8. Chapter 8

** Chapter 8 **

~Saraf~

The steel dragon had given me excellent directions and while I had left quickly, the Gemmed dragon was gone by the time I got to where he supposedly was. Something was most definitely after the Gemmed. The cave high up in a cliff wall had a dragon in it recently but said dragon had also left in one hell of a hurry but not before setting some traps for whatever was after its tail. Most of the traps had gone off judging by the scorch marks and residual magic lingering in the air and on the rocks. However, two traps remained and they were quite elegant in design even if they were hastily cast.

The traps were interesting. They were designed for a dragon as well as something else. I wasn’t quite sure what that something else was as I’d never seen anything like the traps and I didn’t think I had the luxury of time to study them. I needed to find the Gemmed and I needed to do that quickly. As much as I’d have loved to lose myself in studying the delicate complexity of the spell work I didn’t have the hours necessary to fully unravel and appreciate the design.

There were deep claw marks at the entrance to the cave but they didn’t appear to be from a fight. It was more like when a dragon launches itself in the air. That wasn’t entirely unusual but if a dragon was leaving a cave high in a cliff, why would it bother to use extra power to get airborne? All it would need to do was step off the cliff, spread its wings and go. One set of claw marks was also shallower than the other and seemed to go off to the side at a strange angle.

Curious.

It was looking like if I wanted to find the Gemmed before whatever was hunting it did, I was going to have to set my dragon side free. Finding traces of a dragon would be easier and I’d cover much more ground from the air. Not that I minded becoming a dragon. On the contrary. It was a sublime rush to turn into a dragon and fly through the air. A thought had my clothes disappear and I smiled at the feeling of the warm sun on my exposed skin for the second time that day. I drew in a deep breath before letting it out slowly and allowing my form to change. It felt good but was a bit of an odd sensation at the same time to become something so much bigger and physically powerful.

I wondered what Edenlei would think of my dragon form. Given how he’d reacted to my arm and the little bit of my dragon needs I’d allowed, he’d probably be entranced, which made a warm burst of happiness grow and spread through me. It was a damn shame I’d never be able to mate with him as a dragon, the size difference between us far too massive to work. There were other options though and if I was reading Edenlei right, he’d be up for trying something a little more unusual. Giddiness swirled through me and I needed to reel in my excitement and focus on what I was doing; the search for the Gemmed.

A shiver travelled down my spine as my form changed and grew. Large, leathery wings sprouted from my shoulders to my hips, the thin but tough silvery membrane between the flexible bony struts shimmering in the sun. I stretched them to their full span, enjoying the way the warm sun felt against my skin. A soft groan slipped from my throat as a long, thick tail grew from the base of my spine. I flexed my fingers and toes as my hands and feet morphed into those of a dragon. I dug my claws into the rock at the lip of the cliff as enhanced draconic sight brought everything for miles around into sharp focus. I scanned the view for which direction the Gemmed was most likely to have gone.

Seeing nothing to give me any clues I decided to head to the sky and fly in ever widening circles to look for traces of the Gemmed. My muscles bunched and I jumped from the cliff, my wings snapping out with a loud pop before they caught the air. I fell a few dozen feet before gliding briefly and starting to pump my wings hard, climbing high into the sky and doing lazy, widening spirals as I searched for signs of the Gemmed I was after.

I couldn’t seem to stop myself from thinking of Edenlei as I flew and searched. I wanted him to see me in all my draconic glory. I wanted to soar through the sky with him seated between my shoulders, sharing with him the joy of feeling so free and unfettered as we played on thermals. I wanted to show him everything there was to be seen and revel in his pleasure and excitement. I wanted to fill his world with happiness and new experiences and surround him with all the love I had. I wanted him to love me in all my forms.

I wasn’t an overly vain creature but I knew I was a damn impressive sight. Only my father was bigger than me and I suspected that was primarily due to age. I also thought that with my colouring, I was much more eye-catching. The majority of my scales were silvery, inherited from my platinum dragon father. Scattered over my front and hind legs, over my cheeks and down my spine were gold scales, a gift from my mother, the sun goddess. My wing span was a solid one hundred and eighty feet and from the top of my head to the ground I was twenty-five feet tall. Head to tail tip I was seventy-five feet long. I truly was quite the striking, imposing dragon.

I was nothing to be trifled with in a fight. I could breathe fire better than an elder red dragon and had the added benefit of being able to breathe a secondary breath weapon of gas. While the huge gouts of flame were impressive and did their job well, it was the gas weapon that was my preferred method of attack. A creature could shield itself from fire or even be immune to fire damage but anything living needed to breathe and there was no avoiding inhaling the gas if one was caught in the cloud.

Anything half my dragon size was rendered unconscious in under ten seconds and usually dead within three minutes. Larger, hardier creatures would become disorientated, dizzy, vomit and the soft, moist tissues of their nose, mouth and lungs would begin to burn as the gas turned into a caustic acid once it came into contact with moisture. It was also quite pretty looking when I exhaled, the cloud sparkling gold when sunlight hit it.

If I felt like showing off a little, I was no slouch in the dragon spell department. I was an accomplished spell caster, not even drawing on my godhood for that. A dragon my size was not an easy target if the fight got physical. Of course, if I wanted the fight over quickly there was also the fact that I was a god and had additional powers that I could call upon that no dragon could ever hope of coming close to even if they lived for a hundred lifetimes. Realistically, the only thing that could take me down regardless of what form I had was another god. Not to say that I couldn’t be wounded. Just whatever wounds I received in a fight wouldn’t be fatal and would heal over in a matter of minutes or possibly an hour if they were particularly nasty.

As I circled above in ever widening rings I spotted an area where it looked like something heavy had come down hard in the trees. I banked sharply and dived down, pulling up at the last second and transforming back into my usual form mid-air. The drop from thirty or so feet in the air to the ground was nothing to me and I landed as lightly as if I was simply walking down some steps. I examined the destruction and claw marks and concluded that a dragon about the size of the Gemmed I was trying to find had made an unexpected and very clumsy landing. There was no blood that I could see but from the tracks leading away, the dragon appeared to be injured as one of its hind legs didn’t seem to be working right if I was reading what looked like slight drag marks correctly.

A thought had me clothed again in sturdy, serviceable shirt, pants and low boots before I headed off along the trail of broken trees and crushed bushes that led away from the crash site. The trail abruptly stopped in a clearing and while it was brightly lit by the late afternoon sun, I felt an immense wariness bordering on dread about going any further into the clearing. I frowned and stared at the clearing while I tried to ignore the subtle feel of thousands of insects marching over my skin, making it twitch. The need to give the clearing a wide berth was incredibly strong although I couldn’t have said why I felt that way.

I smiled slowly when I realized what was happening.

The Gemmed was very, very good and wonderfully subtle. I was sure that it was sitting in the middle of the clearing, cloaked in invisibility and as still and silent as a tomb waiting for me to leave. The ward was ingenious in its simplicity and effectiveness. I stepped across the line of trees into the clearing and had to swallow hard against an unpleasant roll of my stomach. The urge to move back into the trees was exceedingly strong. I still couldn’t see the dragon even after crossing the ward barrier. I was confident if I used my third eye I’d see the Gemmed plain as day, but there weren’t a lot of creatures that had that sort of gift so the concealment spell was extremely effective. That it even gave me, a god, pause from the physical component of it was elegant in its simplicity.

Colour me very impressed.

“I know you’re here and while it would be rude to force you into view, I will do it if you don’t show yourself. I am Saraf, Lord of Metallic Dragons and God of Primal Flame. I’m hopeful you’re the dragon I’ve been looking for. I have important information to discuss with you.”

The air shimmered and a Gemmed appeared. I was shocked at his appearance and a little annoyed with the steel dragon for not mentioning what he looked like. He was exceedingly thin, his scales lacked the luster of a healthy dragon and there was an air of weariness and defeat hanging over him.

He was likely a tourmaline dragon judging by his colouring and size. His belly scales were a deep pink with dark green scales over the rest of his body and if he was more than twelve feet long, I’d be surprised. One of his rear legs was twisted oddly but didn’t appear to be a new injury and was possibly something he was born with. One of his wings was an entirely different story. It was badly mangled, looked like a fresh injury and was probably what caused him to crash into the trees. He was also missing an eye on the same side as his injured wing although that wound was older, perhaps six months.

“Sure you are. Do you really think I’m that stupid to fall for the same trick twice? I won’t do what you want and I’ve made it impossible for you to use my corpse as I’m sure you intend to. I’m done with running. Kill me and get it over with,” the Gemmed said in a tired and pained voice.

I raised an eyebrow at that. I had no idea what he was talking about.

“I haven’t asked you to do anything. Yet. I want to know if you’ve bred a Mercury dragon in the last few years.”

Fear and defiance entered the Gemmed eyes. “You’ll never find her. Never. She knows you’re looking for her and she won’t be caught twice.”

“I don’t need to find her. She came to me. She’s also several years dead.”

The Gemmed recoiled as if I’d physically hit him before hate filled his eyes. “Liar!” he hissed before lunging at me, his jaws opening wide to bite me in two.

While I didn’t need to make the gesture, I did anyway, dragons appreciating a little bit of flair and showmanship to magic. Fine, it wasn’t technically magic I was using but godly power. That didn’t matter though. It seemed we had a misunderstanding that needed correcting. A flick of my fingers halted the Gemmed mid-attack and held him immobile. He struggled to break free but that simply wasn’t going to happen. When he realized that it was futile fear swamped his eyes and he went limp in my hold.

I let a portion of my godhood free and while not even half, the immense power was enough to make the Gemmed whimper in sudden pain and gasp harshly as he tried to breathe under the oppressive crush. I let the Gemmed feel who I was for several seconds before drawing my power back in and releasing him. He lay crumpled in a heap, panting raggedly, but stared at me with knowledge of who I was and a spark of hope in his eyes.

“Shall we try this again? I am Saraf, Lord of Metallic Dragons, God of Primal Flame and I seek the one who bred a Mercury dragon named Ayotunde a few years ago. Are you that dragon?”

The Gemmed pushed himself up and bowed his head. “A thousand humble apologies Lord Saraf. I didn’t recognize you for who you truly are. I am Dzaghig and yes, I am mated to Ayotunde. She... what happened to her? You say she passed. Please tell me she didn’t suffer. Why have you come looking for me?”

“Several years ago she showed up in the volcano that was my seat of power up until a few weeks ago. She was mortally wounded but managed to lay an egg with the last of her strength. She begged me to watch over it and died before she could tell me who the sire was. I’d asked the male Mercury dragons if any had bred with her but none had. I needed to wait until the egg hatched to try to figure out what type of dragon the sire was. When the egg hatched, I was able to make an educated guess as to what the sire was and sent several Metallics out to look for him.”

Perfect tourmaline tears formed in Dzaghig’s eyes and tumbled down his cheeks, the small gems pinging softly as they fell to the ground. The pain in his eyes at hearing Ayotunde was dead was far worse than the pain he likely felt from his crumpled wing. I didn’t know a lot about Gemmed dragons and their mating rituals as they were not mine to command but from Dzaghig’s reaction, it appeared that they likely mated for life. I regretted telling him so harshly about his mate dying.

“She hid the seriousness of her wounds from me. I’d have never let her leave on her own if I’d known. I’d have used every drop of power I had in trying to heal her. I’d have died but she might’ve lived. I’m sure she knew that and that’s why she did it. Our dragonling is well? You’ll protect him or her? I’ll give you my entire hoard and show you all my spells if you will watch over the dragonling for me until it is old enough to take care of itself. I would gladly take on the responsibility but I’m not in any condition to protect one so young. The one who hunts me won’t give up either and I refuse to put my dragonling in harms way. He or she must be protected at all costs. If that cost is everything I own and even my very life, I’ll gladly pay the price.”

Intense sorrow was in Dzaghig’s voice but also cautious hope.

“You have twin dragonlings. Prasiolite is seafoam green and Rhodolite is light purple. They’re very pretty, curious and have already cast their first few warding spells, which are surprisingly good. After seeing your spell work, they likely come by it naturally. They’re quite gifted I’d say with very strong wills.”

“Twins? But... you said Ayotunde only laid one egg.”

“She did. They’re of the same egg.”

“How is that possible? There isn’t enough room for two dragonlings in one egg all the way to hatching. Is something wrong with them? Did they inherit any of my...” Dzaghig trailed off and gestured to his oddly bent leg.

“Not so far as I can tell. However, they aren’t dragonlings in form at the moment. They changed their shape to something much smaller while still in the egg so they’d both live. They look like tiny, perfect adult Elves. They’re really quite adorable. I expect it’ll take time for them to learn how to change to their natural form as they are quite easily distracted right now with everything being so new and exciting to them.”

Paternal pride filled Dzaghig’s eyes and his scrawny chest puffed out. It quite literally could take decades for a dragon to master the art of changing his shape to something else. To do so while in the egg and without any sort of instruction from another dragon was unheard of. Dzaghig had a right to be extremely proud of his dragonlings. I was also starting to suspect that Prasiolite and Rhodolite were going to be exceptionally strong spell casters and workers of magic.

Dzaghig, from the little I’d seen of his work, was extremely talented, possibly gifted when it came to spell work. That aptitude for spells may have been what saved him from being killed when he hatched with what was obviously a deformity of his rear leg. Information I’d managed to gather on Ayotunde suggested that while she’d been very young, she was highly skilled in combat magic, often preferring her magic over her breath weapons or physical attacks. From what other dragons had said, she was formidable at spell weaving on the fly. With parents like that it was no wonder that the twins were already showing so much magic promise.

“I will watch over the twins however, it would be best if you were there with them. I have other duties in addition to my position as Lord of the Metallic dragons and while I can teach them about their Metallic heritage, unfortunately I don’t know a lot about their Gemmed side. What is hunting you and why? I may be able to help solve the problem. Have you petitioned the Lady of the Gemmed dragons to intercede on your behalf?”

“I refuse to put my Lady in the dangerous sort of position that I’m in. A powerful mage is hunting me. I’ve never been sure of how he happened to hear of me but I have my suspicions. The mage wants a spell I created. It’s very potent and dangerous and involves warping the passage of time for brief intervals. The personal cost for using the spell is high but if you have no morals, you can pass that cost on to another. I knew the mage wouldn’t pay the price of the spell himself and would instead force others to pay it for him. I was also very certain that it wouldn’t be a rare use thing. He wants power and he doesn’t care who or what he needs to destroy to get it. I refused to give the spell to him.

“He found out somehow about Ayotunde and I being mates and managed to capture her. He tried to use her safety and freedom against me to get me to tell him of the workings of the spell. It nearly made me physically ill to refuse to negotiate her freedom and safety for the spell but I knew she’d never forgive me if I bartered away something so powerful and dangerous, even at the cost of her life, to one as evil as the mage. The greater good would not be served and she would’ve been furious with me for putting her above all else. Ayotunde knew the spell, too, something the mage didn’t know and while he was distracted with me, she was able to use it to break free of the cage he’d trapped her in.”

Dzaghig’s head drooped and he drew in a deep breath. Telling me what happened was obviously still painful to him, possibly even more now with the knowledge that his mate had died likely because of that encounter with the mage if I was reading his body language right.

“We fought the mage but aside from his own considerable magic, he had three undead dragons at his command. Ayotunde and I could’ve beaten him on our own, at least to get away from him, but with the undead also attacking us, there was no way we could win. Towards the end of the battle, I knew Ayotunde was wounded, as was I, and wouldn’t be able to hold the mage or his dragons off much longer. We both worried that if one of us fell, the mage might be able to pull the spell from our corpse and we refused to let that happen. She is... was a faster flyer than me and agreed she’d have the best chance to get away between the two of us. I also knew she would be ready to lay eggs shortly and I would do anything to protect my mate and my future dragonlings. I drew the attention of the mage and undead dragons allowing Ayotunde to slip away. I readied a spell to burn myself to ash the second my life ended. Obviously that didn’t happen.”

“Undead dragons? You’re sure about that?” I asked in concern. It’d been nearly a thousand years since a mage, or more specifically, a necromancer, had managed to gather enough knowledge and strength to animate and control a dragon never mind more than one at a time.

Dzaghig nodded. “There was no mistaking it. It’s not something I’ll ever forget. We created an illusion of Ayotunde and once the mage realized what that was and that I was the only one fighting he sent two of the dragons after Ayotunde. She was wounded but they’d have still had an incredible fight on their hands. If, as you say, she laid our egg in the volcano where your seat is, she likely went where she knew she’d be utterly safe. She wouldn’t tell me where she was going for fear that the mage would somehow pull that information from me. I doubt even this power hungry mage would be foolish enough to try and enter your realm and I’m sure Ayotunde had the same thought.”

“But he appeared to you with my face. That is what your earlier statement implied isn’t it?” That made me angry. How dare some lowly mortal take my appearance and pretend to be me? When I got my hands on this necromancer, he was going to pay dearly.

“Yes. It was several months after that fight that nearly killed us. I suppose it more or less did kill my Ayotunde.”

Dzaghig’s breath hitched and another perfect gem tear rolled down his cheek and bounced over the ground before coming to a stop against my foot. As hard as it was, I resisted the urge to pick it up and pocket it. Dragon tears were very rare and extremely valuable, only forming from unimaginable sorrow or joy. I wanted to add the ones that’d fallen to my hoard but knowing how they’d formed, it would’ve been very ill-mannered to take them. It still pained my dragon heart to leave something so precious. Dzaghig drew in a steadying breath and visibly pulled himself together.

“The mage appeared to me looking like you and claimed that Ayotunde had come to him for asylum. I’m not sure if he knew that to be true or if he thought it that would sound perfectly reasonable to me, which it did, and that it would convince me to go with him. He said that she begged you to bring me to her as we were mated. I was overjoyed that she was safe and started toward him, ready to go wherever he led me as long as Ayotunde was at the end of that journey. Then I caught a whiff of decaying dragon and halted. I told him to become a dragon and that I’d follow where he flew. He tried to give me some excuse about preferring the form he had and that he didn’t want to go through the tedious process of becoming a dragon. I knew then that it wasn’t you.

“You are as much a dragon as you are a god and I’ve seen you in your dragon form. Not up close but there’s no mistaking that you wholly embrace your draconic side and it is not a chore to let that side free. I ran again and barely escaped but I did escape. I’ve been on the move and hiding ever since, trusting no one. An undead yellow dragon found me, chased me and brought me down here. It left to go get its master, no doubt.”

“Do you wish to be with Prasiolite and Rhodolite?”

“With everything in my soul. But I won’t put them in danger and I won’t leave them in a position to be used against me. It breaks my heart to know I can’t be with them but it’s for their safety,” Dzaghig said as another tear tumbled down his scaled cheek.

“While you aren’t a Metallic, you are the sire of Metallics under my protection and were mated to a Metallic. I offer you protection under my wing. If you accept, I’ll speak to the Lady of the Gemmed on your behalf and explain the situation. I don’t foresee a problem with that. As for the necromancer, I will deal with him. You don’t casually impersonate a Lord of Dragons and you most certainly don’t impersonate a god without expecting some godly wrath to rain down on your head.”

“Be very careful of this necromancer, Lord Saraf. He is devious and very powerful. Not to imply that he’d be a match for a god but he has a way of getting into your head and exploiting your weaknesses. I gratefully and humbly accept your offer of sanctuary.”

“A copper dragon, Bufummel, will see you settled. Put your mind at ease, Dzaghig. The necromancer won’t trouble you further once I’m done with him.”

Gratitude filled Dzaghig’s eyes. I gestured and he vanished, a little godly power transporting him directly to my seat. He’d be safe there from even the most powerful spells that a necromancer could create. Nothing except the Great-Father could enter my seat without my permission and even then, he’d need to work very hard at it if I truly didn’t want him there. All gods were omnipotent within their seat of power even against the god of gods that was the Great-Father or All-Mother.

Dzaghig said he assumed the yellow dragon that brought him down likely returned to its master to bring the necromancer to where Dzaghig was supposed to be. The necromancer was going to be in for one hell of a surprise when he arrived. I shifted once again to my dragon form and curled up in the center of the clearing. For what the necromancer had done and continued to try and do, I was going to toy with him a bit before killing him. A necromancer that could raise and control undead dragons was not to be allowed to continue doing so. Going around and pretending to be me deserved serious godly rebuking. Interrupting my time wooing and enjoying the pleasures of Edenlei, no matter how indirectly was ultimately going to cost the man his life.


	9. Chapter 9

** Chapter 9 **

~Edenlei~

The twins were bright, adorable and a pain in my ass all at once. Fanji was completely correct when he said they had no filter on their mouths. Sometimes it was hilarious or insightful what they came out with. Other times I thought they deserved a sound paddling. They were trying though. I could see that. But they simply didn’t see the point in holding back the truth of things as they saw it to spare others feelings. They did have a point when they said that what they told people wasn’t something those people didn’t already know. The truth could often be an uncomfortable, inconvenient thing people would rather not have thrust into their faces.

I was surprised at how much such tiny creatures could eat. I had no idea where they put it all. They were a third as big as me yet ate almost the same amount of food as I did and it wasn’t like I had tiny portions. Rho, as he insisted on my calling him now, had the absolute worst sweet tooth I’d ever seen and I knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that if left to his own devices, he’d eat nothing but sweets.

Because he was adorable and soon realized how enchanted all of us in the temple were with him and his brother, the sly little thing soon had everyone sneaking him sweet treats as soon as my back was turned. Trying to keep the others in the temple from constantly slipping him sweets was like trying to corral lava with fishing nets. It would never work and you’d only frustrate yourself and quite likely get burned in the process.

Sio was quieter than his brother but still a handful in his own way. He’d seen me reading and wanted to know what I was doing. I’d explained and read him a little of what I was studying and he was hooked. It’d taken him a shockingly short amount of time to learn to read Elvish. He still stumbled over some words but I was flabbergasted at him learning to read with good proficiency in just days. Sio said dragons were very good at languages and just seemed to understand them.

He’d ploughed through my tiny collection of scrolls and books in no time and using his adorableness, had steadily worked his way through at least half of the temple resident’s personal collections, too. The books and scrolls he read weren’t always with the permission of their owner either. He seemed to think that because we were all servants of Saraf living in His temple, it was perfectly fine to take the books and scrolls of others since he was under the guardianship of Saraf, so by extension, had Saraf’s permission to take what he wanted. He most certainly didn’t like giving the books and scrolls back and I had to wonder if he hadn’t put his mark on the items, claiming them as his hoard, if he was even able to do such a thing at his young age. Honestly, I wouldn’t have put it past him.

He was very upset to learn that easily half of the temple books and scrolls had been destroyed when we needed to flee our previous home, our lives far more important than saving the books and scrolls. We’d taken only the most holy of scriptures and whatever else had been close at hand when we left during the eruption. I felt horrible for telling him that when he burst into tears and cried his little heart out at the loss of all that knowledge. He blamed himself and Rho for the loss of all the knowledge and was heartsick.

As far as more reading materials went, Sio kept me on my toes as he heard someone in the temple say they had a relative who managed to save a small collection of books before they had to flee. From that point on, keeping his tiny ass in the temple was one of the hardest things I’d ever had to do. Rho was no help either. He was perfectly willing to help his brother get what he wanted even if that put both of them in possible danger. It was only because of my Geomancer abilities that I was able to keep the trouble twosome from sneaking away under my nose. It was a little exhausting to keep a constant mental watch on the ground around the temple for the tiny footsteps of the twins but I’d sworn to Saraf that I’d do everything in my power to keep them safe.

Some people were very angry over the destruction of our former home and the loss of loved ones and they blamed Saraf. That wasn’t fair as he had sent warnings to his Elder Priests to tell us to leave well before the volcano began erupting in seriousness. I still had no idea why the Elder Priests hadn’t talked to the council and started an evacuation. I doubted I’d ever know. That was strictly Priest business. Fanji was just as confused as I was over the Elder Priests actions so it had to be something only the Elder Priests knew about. In reality, I supposed it didn’t matter much anymore as what was done was done but I was wickedly curious about the why of it all.

At least I didn’t need to worry about anyone hurting Saraf if he chose to appear among my people. He was a god, a dragon and immortal and could certainly take care of himself while smiting whomever’s very mortal ass for presuming to try and harm a god. Sio and Rho, while dragons, weren’t immortal to the best of my knowledge and were so very small and vulnerable right now. I thought that if there were some who were angry enough with Saraf for what they thought he did to spout words of dissention, they’d be utterly furious with the twins since it was actually them being born that’d caused the volcano to explode and swallow our previous home and not something Saraf did. People in pain from grief would do things that they normally wouldn’t and that worried me a little as far as the twins safety was concerned.

I was incredibly touched by the surprising fierce loyalty of Sio and Rho. While they still stood by their statement that I wasn’t pretty, which I knew was true, they insisted that they now understood that it wasn’t outside beauty that Lord Saraf was attracted to with me but an inner beauty they said was easy to see once you bothered to look for it. With that new knowledge, they were staunch defenders of me and had snubbed more than one resident of the temple over what they thought was poor treatment toward me. It was very sweet and made me hug them when they did things like that.

Funny enough, it was Rho who was the cuddlier of the two. He was such a brash, independent creature and Sio was so quiet and thoughtful, I’d have thought it was the other way around if I hadn’t experienced it firsthand. Sio liked hugs well enough and he was very free with his affection with his brother but it was Rho who was always touching me or Sio or sometimes even Fanji and giving unexpected hugs and kisses. Rho only kissed me and Sio but he did it frequently. So much so that I felt a little pang at the knowledge that when Saraf came to collect the twins, I was going to terribly miss that easy affection not only from Rho but from Sio, too, even if he was more reserved than his brother. I sincerely hoped Saraf would let the twins visit me as I’d grown quite attached to them in the five days that they’d been in my care.

I was pleased that they liked my hair so much that they constantly played with it, brushing and braiding it or plaiting tiny flowers and bits of ribbon into it. They’d also taken to sleeping tangled in it, which usually wasn’t a problem since I was a quiet sleeper that didn’t move much but was inconvenient at the moment since I hadn’t had the chance to change into my sleep clothes before the twins were demanding that I let them lay in my hair before falling asleep. They were now firmly tangled in the long strands, something they’d probably planned to do. I didn’t want to wake Sio and Rho because sometimes they were like young children and were either incredibly cranky when woken or full of energy and raring to go. They may have looked like tiny adults but they were still very new to the world having come into it only a few weeks ago.

“What happened to your promise to have no other in your bed, Edenlei?” asked Saraf in a soft voice filled with humour.

I turned my head slightly to find Saraf leaning against the closed door of my room, an amused look on his face. I smiled at him, happy to see him. I would’ve gone to him joyfully but with the twins asleep in my hair, movement like that would’ve woken them. I was also selfish enough to want to have a few minutes of Saraf’s attention all to myself. I was sure that if the twins were to wake, they’d have hundreds of questions for Saraf about what he’d found out about their sire. I understood the importance of that but an extra five minutes of Saraf’s attention just for me wouldn’t hurt anything.

“You tasked me with watching over Sio and Rho and keeping them safe. That’s what I’m doing. They sleep better like this and it’s a small thing to let them,” I said in a whisper.

“Sio and Rho?” Saraf said with a raised brow and a pleased look slowly filling his eyes.

“They insist on my calling them that. They’re really quite adorable although you’re going to have to keep a careful eye on Rho so that he doesn’t eat just sweets. You may also need to put any books you have under lock and key to keep Sio from wandering off with them. That last bit is my fault and I apologize for that but I didn’t think he’d learn to read as quickly as he did nor take such a shine to reading as he has.”

Saraf chuckled softly. “Most dragons crave knowledge. I have enough reading material to keep Prasiolite occupied for decades without reading the same thing twice. What about Rhodolite? Aside from a love for sweets, what does he go after?”

Decades worth of reading material? I think Sio would have some competition for Saraf’s collection if I was ever allowed to see it. For the briefest of moments I was intensely jealous that Sio would be able to browse through Saraf’s books and I never would.

“Hmmm, Rho’s obsession would be weapons I’d say. And strategy. Fanji taught him a game we play called Conquer and Rho is an excellent player despite only learning it a few days ago. I’m a rather good player but he beats me quite often and I’m not letting him win. He seems very intrigued with the different types of knives and bows and swords and the like that he’s seen. It’s been mostly pictures as we don’t have weapons in the temple in general and the Clerics have denied him access to the armoury, which he was very unhappy about.

“There was quite the screaming match between him and Sio over a scroll detailing a long ago war between us and a clan from another island. It had quite detailed pictures of the weapons and battles and Rho fell in love with it. They both sulked for hours when I told them they couldn’t keep the scroll as it belonged to one of the Priests and wasn’t theirs to fight over,” I said, my voice still pitched low to avoid waking the objects of our discussion.

“Sounds like you’ve been having quite the adventure with them. Have they been much trouble?”

“Not really. We had some rough spots at first. Manners seem to be a little... difficult for them to grasp. Not the please and thank you courtesy type of thing. They’re pretty good about that,” I hurried to assure Saraf. “It’s the... polite lies I guess you would call them that gives them problems. They don’t see the point in not telling the bald truth to someone especially if that person asks. I think I’ve finally gotten them to stick to the adage of not having anything nice to say means you say nothing but it’s more a work-in-progress thing than something they consistently do.”

Saraf muffled a laugh. “They are very young. They’ll get better with manners and develop strong guile as they mature. It sounds like you’ve given them a good head start on the manners. Thank you, Edenlei.”

A blush warmed my face at the praise. Saraf waved his hand and the twins disappeared. I made a noise that sounded like distress even to my ears. Saraf approached the bed as I sat up and smoothed a hand over my cheek.

“They’re fine and sleeping in one of the rooms of my seat. I didn’t want us disturbed by curious young dragons asking a hundred questions for the next little while. Did you do this to your hair for me?” Saraf asked as he stroked a tiny braid at the side of my head.

“Sio and Rho like playing with my hair. I let them because it keeps them quiet and safely occupied,” I said a little breathlessly at Saraf’s touch.

“It makes your beautiful hair even more so.” Saraf sat on the bed beside me and leaned in close. “Did you miss me, Edenlei? I was looking forward to some of your erotic prayers and was more than a little disappointed not to receive any.”

“The twins didn’t leave me much private time. I wanted to offer you that sort of prayer, but after one attempt for a little pleasure that was interrupted almost as soon as I started, I decided to save myself the embarrassment and aching balls and wait until Sio and Rho weren’t stepping in my footprints as soon as I made them.

“The idea of needing a little private time seems to escape them. I was forced to explain about that private time and they had the audacity to demand to watch me jerk myself off because they wanted to see how other creatures did it and if it was the same as dragons. That was most certainly not going to happen,” I said, affront in my tone at the very idea of the twins watching me masturbate.

Saraf chuckled. “Dragons aren’t shy about sex and have no problems fucking while others are present. They tend to take their pleasure wherever and whenever they wish. Watching others is entertaining and arousing and for the very young, educational.”

“I’m a firm believer in learning but I draw the line there. You... uhhh... you wouldn’t ask that of me, would you? To have sex in front of others? I really wouldn’t be comfortable with that, Saraf,” I said somewhat nervously.

Saraf was a dragon, or part dragon if one was being technical. It wasn’t out of the realm of possibility to me that he’d have draconic traits beyond his arm and third eye. He’d actually mentioned that he had some not-so-visible dragon traits. Was a desire for sex in public one of them? I sincerely hoped not otherwise I was going to have to deny a god what he wanted and I wasn’t keen on seeing how much that would displease said god. However it was a non-negotionable point with me.

“No, Edenlei. I told you that I have no intention of sharing the vision of you lost in your pleasure with any others. You are mine and mine alone,” Saraf said with a note of finality in his voice.

“Good. Because I’d have refused to do that even if you really wanted to,” I said relief plain in my voice.

“Refusing your god what he wants? There’s my sassy Geomancer,” Saraf said with a grin. “You seem mostly ready for bed but I didn’t hear any last evening prayers from you. Pray to me, Edenlei. Send me your erotic prayers because I miss hearing them. Jerk yourself off for me. Tell me how much you missed me and looked forward to my return. Give me one of your prized offerings so I can add it to my hoard. Pray for what you want from me and you could very well get it. You do, after all, have the very personal attention of your god.”

“You want to watch me masturbate?” I asked a little surprised at the request. It sounded slightly naughty when he demanded to watch me and a tiny thrill shot through me. “Will you do the same for me?”

Saraf’s smile was predatory and that definitely thrilled me and made my cock start to firm. I had no idea why the idea of being stalked and pounced on by Saraf was so arousing. It just was. I should ask Fanji about it at some point. He’d probably know why I found it so exciting.

“Not this time. I want nothing to distract me from the delight that is you finding release even if that thing is my own pleasure. Strip, stroke your cock and pray to me, Geomancer Edenlei,” Saraf commanded.

By all that was holy, it was erotic to hear Saraf command me to jerk myself off for him. I got up from my bed and removed my loose pants and sleeveless shirt. Saraf moved to the foot of the bed and sat cross-legged, his eyes never leaving me. A little heat touched my cheeks at being naked in front of him while he was still dressed. That heat went up a notch when got back on the bed and lay on my back, my legs spread and knees slightly bent, my toes touching Saraf’s fabric covered legs and feeling the warmth of him seeping out over my feet.

I was very exposed to him and strongly reminded of our last encounter when he’d said he enjoyed seeing me like this. Well almost like this. The last time I’d already been fucked by him and was pleasantly exhausted while he admired the fruits of his labours. I was also hard where before I’d been spent. Seeing the lust in his eyes was making arousal pool heavily in my balls. It wasn’t going to take much for me to orgasm. A week without any kind of erotic touches and having the object of my affection and desires sitting right in front of me, watching me perform for him.... I hoped I could last longer than two minutes. I really, really hoped that after he watched me orgasm, he’d fuck me. A smile turned my lips up. I’d pray for that. He had said to pray for what I wanted and that I may get it. I had a hard time thinking that he’d refuse that particular prayer of mine.

I felt a little shy initially about touching myself in front of Saraf especially since he was still fully dressed and wasn’t going to be doing anything sexual while I was jerking off for him. Or at least he’d implied that he wouldn’t be which strangely increased my desire. I wrapped my fingers around my cock and started to stroke myself slowly letting the pleasurable pressure build. I cupped my balls and tugged lightly on them as I squeezed the base of my cock. My eyes drifted closed and I sank into the naughty delight of bringing myself off for Saraf at his command.

It wasn’t a true prayer, in the strictest sense that I was making to Saraf. True, I was thanking him for giving me the lush desire and the happiness I felt when I thought of him even if my thoughts were what I was sure most would think highly inappropriate to have about your god. Thoughts of Saraf and the one time we’d been intimate filled my head making me moan softly as I stroked my cock.

The way he looked and felt when buried balls deep in my ass had me starting to pant lightly. The remembered musky smell of sex combined with the slightly smoky scent that clung to him delighted me and goosed my desire. The way his voice sounded, deep and commanding as he fucked me made my balls ache with need in the best way possible. The rich taste of his seed in my mouth had been exquisite and made me want to taste it again. The feel of his lips on mine and the way they’d curved into a pleased smile when I told him I loved him made my heart feel full to bursting. The love I felt for him, filling me until I felt like there was no way I could contain it all and it burst from me.

My muscles went rigid as my back bowed and I cried out softly as my cock pulsed in my hand, my orgasm catching me by surprise with its intensity. My toes curled and I bit my lip trying to keep my pleasure quiet. The sleeping quarters were only woven grass walls right now and could’ve been made of morning fog for all the good they did at stopping sound from travelling from one room to the next. I breathed heavily through my nose as I gave my cock a few final strokes, enjoying the almost too good feel and shivered as I opened my eyes.

Saraf stared at me hungrily, his third eye glowing brightly. My mouth opened slightly in surprise at seeing a large, shimmery halo around him that radiated the most wonderful warmth where it brushed against my feet and ankles. While I’d never seen one in person before, I knew a divine glow when I saw one and I was a little awed at seeing and feeling it. Saraf was beautiful when he wasn’t doing anything god-like. When he did let his godhood show, he was beyond beautiful. He was breath-taking. I wanted him. I wanted him to want me, to love me, as I did him. It would never happen because he was a god and I was mortal and nothing special but that didn’t make me want the impossible any less.

“You consistently give me the best, most treasured of offerings, Geomancer Edenlei. I accept what you’ve given me with pleasure. I gladly grant you everything you prayed for so heartfelt, my beautiful pearl.”

I grinned madly. I’d been almost certain Saraf would grant me the sublime delight of having my ass stuffed with his cock. It was wonderful to be right. One moment Saraf was clothed and the next he wasn’t. A tiny laugh escaped me at the thought that there were definitely some perks to being a god. Saraf raised an eyebrow at me in question as he ran his hands up my thighs, the golden tipped claws on his dragon hand lightly scratching my skin, the sensation very erotic.

“I was thinking of how handy it is being a god and not needing to waste time undressing.”

Saraf laughed softly. “One of many advantages to godhood. This is another.”

I was about to ask what he was referring to when he slid a finger easily into my ass and stroked firmly over my prostate. My breath whooshed out of me in surprise and pleasure and I gave my softening cock a firm squeeze trying and failing to keep it hard.

“Hearing you pray to me for what your heart desires while watching you bring yourself to orgasm at my command was intensely erotic,” Saraf said as he stroked my ass, the one finger quickly becoming two and then three.

I was a bit confused at why there was no sting with suddenly having so much in my ass at once without any kind of lube happening but I wasn’t about to protest something that felt so fantastic and that I wanted with every fibre of my being. Saraf must’ve seen something in my face because that predatory look I’d seen from him before came into his eyes, thrilling me.

“I’m afraid I’m a little impatient right now and have just abused my godly powers horribly on you. I would apologize but I know you’re not going to complain because you want me in you as much as I want to be there.”

“What did you do?” I asked on a breathy moan as Saraf rubbed hard over my prostate. By all the gods that felt amazing.

“Lubed your ass and loosened you up with a thought,” Saraf said with a leer.

“You can do that? Well, obviously you can, but why didn’t you do that the first time, too?” I asked as I swallowed a groan that tried to escape as Saraf’s knuckles brushed against my still sensitive balls while he fingered my ass.

“Because the first time I wanted to experience everything naturally. I wanted to feel how your body responded and opened to me. While I’d love to slowly tease and stir your lust to a fever pitch before having the pleasure of sinking into your heat, you’re simply too tempting and far too arousing for me to wait. I hadn’t realized how erotic it would be to watch you jerk off while you offered erotic prayers to me. I have a lot of patience in most things but apparently claiming you isn’t an area where I have the ability to wait.”

Saraf’s words made me feel all giddy inside. He was also right. I wasn’t about to protest something that resulted in him sliding balls deep into me in the next few minutes without feeling the sting of being stretched. Fanji was so very right. There were some definite perks to having a god in your bed.

“Don’t get me wrong, Edenlei. I will spend the time slowly preparing you to take my cock and driving you crazy with want, something I know we’ll both enjoy. Just not now,” Saraf said as he withdrew his fingers from me and pushed his cock against my hole, not stopping until he was fully sheathed inside me.

My breath shuddered out of me and I groaned softly at the exquisite feel of Saraf buried balls deep in my ass. If I lived to be five hundred years old, I knew I’d never get tired of the wonderful feeling of taking Saraf into my body. Saraf leaned forward and pressed his lips roughly to mine, the kiss he was giving me hungry and demanding. I wrapped my legs around Saraf’s waist, let go of my spent cock and hugged Saraf tightly, kissing him just as hungrily as he was kissing me. Saraf ground his cock into me for several delicious seconds before easily pulling back from my tight grip on him, dragging a wordless protest from me. I really liked him where he was, thank you very much, and wasn’t in favour of him moving away. His hands gripped my hips tightly, the claws on his dragon hand pressing hard into my skin and thrilling me with the possessive sensation of being claimed.

“Greedy little thing, aren’t you?” Saraf asked with a chuckle before he started to move his hips quickly back and forth, fucking me hard and fast. I loved it.

“For you? Absolutely and always,” I gasped between breaths as I ran my hands over his arms and shoulders.

A deep rumbling growl sounded from Saraf and his third eye glowed brightly. Unbelievably, the force of Saraf’s thrusts rocking my body increased and he pumped his hips faster. I was in heaven. The sensation of him claiming me with the fuck he was treating me to was intense. He still had the divine glow around him and I wallowed in the tingling warmth of that along with the raw power from the hard fuck. My heart felt full to bursting again with just how much I loved the glorious creature taking possession of me. I drew his head down until we were nose to nose.

“I love you, Saraf. All of you. There will never be any other for me. I swear it on my very soul. I am utterly, joyously yours,” I said before kissing him with all the love and hunger I had for him.

Another growl sounded from Saraf and his hips snapped tight to my ass. I moaned into his mouth as his cock spurted inside me, filling me with his hot seed. I thought I heard several loud, startled cries but the pleasure of Saraf joined to me so intimately kept me from focusing on unimportant things. Saraf broke the kiss, his breath coming in sharp pants as we both enjoyed the afterglow of the short but intense fuck. He stared at me for a long time, his third eye glowing brightly before he gave me a look that made my belly flutter in excitement.

“I want to show you something. Do you trust me, my wondrous pearl?”

I nodded my head and touched his cheek lightly. “Absolutely.”

Saraf smiled and one minute we were in my room and the next we were standing somewhere outside in a large open field, the full moon shining down on us and giving everything a bright silvery glow. I was highly disappointed that I didn’t have Saraf’s cock in my ass anymore but awed at moving from one place to another without so much as an eye blink. I felt equal parts nervous and naughty at being outside, naked and with come starting to trickle out of my ass. I looked at Saraf and frowned a tiny bit when he looked a little nervous.

“I will never intentionally hurt you, Edenlei. You will always be safe with me. You are my pearl of immeasurable price and to hurt you would tear out my heart. You’re brave and adventurous and say you love all of me but you haven’t seen all of me yet. I believe you when you tell me you love all of me but until you’ve actually seen everything I am, you can’t really say that with one hundred percent truth. So, I’m going to show you all of me and then I’d like you to tell me if it’s still true that you love all of me. I won’t think any less of you if you don’t and it certainly won’t change the way I feel about you.”

Saraf seemed a little anxious and I honestly had no idea why. I also didn’t understand what more to him there was for me to see. Saraf drew in a deep breath and let it out slowly. As he did, his body started to change and flow into another shape. Huge silvery wings grew from his back and a tail started to form. His hands and feet became claws and his size increased to something that completely dwarfed me. Horns sprouted from his forehead and short spikes projected from his jaw line as his head became that of a dragon. The time it took for him to go from man to dragon was mere seconds but it was almost as if time slowed to a crawl as I watched the change happen. When he looked at me again it was as a very large dragon and I could have sworn there was caution and hope mixed in his gorgeous eyes.

I couldn’t do anything but stare. I’d never seen a creature so utterly magnificent in my entire life. The dragons Saraf had sent to help us flee our previous home had been amazing but nowhere near as beautiful as Saraf in dragon form. I wanted to touch him. I wanted to run my hands over his body and see how the scales felt. I wanted to know what the silvery membrane of his wings felt like. I wanted to see him move and fly to watch the play of his muscles as he did that. I completely shocked myself at the thought of wanting to see his dragon cock and my cheeks heated with a blush. That was probably highly inappropriate. Even more so than wanting to be fucked by your god. I honestly had no idea where these perverted thoughts popped out from.

“You’re... I had no idea you could do this. Nothing in our scriptures says you can become a dragon and there’s no pictures of you like this. Why? Why isn’t there any mention in our holy teachings that you can become such an amazing, beautiful creature? Can I touch you?”

Relief flooded Saraf’s eyes and he lowered his massive head until he was almost eye to eye with me. His third eye glowed and he stared at me for several long seconds. He inhaled slowly and his eyes widened in surprise quickly followed by a flash of pleasure in them. He also got that predatory, possessive look in his eyes that I adored and the warmth in my cheeks increased as desire started to pool in my belly. Thankfully, my cock hadn’t recovered yet from my previous orgasm and wasn’t rising but I knew it would given another ten minutes or so. What sort of deviant would Saraf think me to see me aroused by this form?

“You are truly my pearl beyond price, Edenlei. You can always touch me anywhere your heart desires. Matter of fact, I encourage you to do so. This form pleases and arouses you as much as my other, doesn’t it? You have no idea how happy that makes me,” Saraf said in an exceptionally deep voice that was filled with excitement.

My cheeks flamed. How did he know that? Fine, it was true, but still, how could he possibly know? Okay, he was a god, but still. A rumbling chuckle sounded from Saraf.

“I can smell your increasing arousal. Dragons have excellent noses. I could probably catch wind of the delicious scent of your desire from half a mile away while in this form. I love the idea of a mating flight with you but that can’t happen for obvious reasons, which is a damn shame of epic proportions. I am a god and a dragon but there are some things that are beyond even my power, which is a pity. You’re the only one I’ve ever wanted to be able to mate with while a dragon.”

I truly had to be some kind of very deviant individual to get aroused by what Saraf said. It wasn’t that I had a thing or suppressed need to be intimate with animals. Far from it. Saraf was currently a dragon, yes, but he was also a man and the one I loved. It was Saraf I was attracted to. His form was not important although truthfully, it didn’t hurt anything that both his forms were gorgeous and stirred my arousal something fierce.

“If I could I would mate with you while you’re a dragon,” I admitted softly as I reached out and lightly ran my fingers over his scaled cheek.

Saraf closed his eyes and pressed his snout flat against my chest. His head was so massive that while his eyes were quite a bit higher than mine, the length of his muzzle pressed against me still covered me from shoulders to ankles and possibly even scraped the ground at my feet. The scales on his face were perfectly smooth and the heat that I normally felt from Saraf when he was in his man form was easily doubled. I leaned forward and kissed him as high as I could reach. Even standing on my tip-toes I couldn’t reach higher than a few inches below his eyes. I stepped a little away from him, trailing my hand over his jaw and down his neck as I began to walk around him. The pleased rumble that sounded from him at my touch made me feel giddy.

I could just barely feel the magic he had while in his dragon form as my hands glided over the slightly rough-feeling scales of his body. He turned his head to watch me as I made my way around him, staring and marveling at what I had permission to touch. The silvery skin of his wings felt like the finest, softest leather imaginable. I got to his hind quarters and couldn’t stop myself from glancing between his legs. I was highly disappointed to see absolutely nothing there. I was sure there was some sort of male equipment as dragons did mate, Saraf himself telling me so, but I saw nothing. I bit my lip and wondered how rude or inappropriate it would be to ask how a dragon could mate without any of the necessary parts. Figuring I’d never know if I didn’t ask, I threw my normal politeness to the wind and decided to ask. The worst that would happen is that Saraf would refuse to answer me.

“How do you mate? I don’t see anything that could....” I trailed off with a vague hand gesture.

Saraf snorted softly and humour was in his eyes. “Brave and sassy. I adore those qualities in you, Edenlei. Watch and learn, my curious little Geomancer. I hope what you see pleases you as much as what you’ve already experienced with me.”

My blush was fierce but I focused my eyes on the area between Saraf’s hind legs. A slit opened as something golden-coloured was slowly pushed out. My eyes widened and my mouth opened into a surprised ‘oh’ as what was obviously a very, very large, golden cock emerged. Logically, I should’ve known that with his size as a dragon, his dick would probably be in proportion to his size. Somehow, I hadn’t made the mental connection and could only stare in awe at his cock. No balls followed the cock out of his body but that only made his dragon cock all that more impressive looking.

I wanted to touch it. I clenched my hands into fists to keep myself from reaching out to see if it was as smooth as it looked. I actually licked my lips at the thought of kissing it as I caressed it. My cock had recovered enough to start to rise as thoughts of touching Saraf’s monster cock and rubbing my body against it until I orgasmed swirled through my brain. There was absolutely no way I could ever take something that size into my body unless I was also a dragon. By all the gods, the size of his dick was pretty much the same size I was.

I jumped a bit when a wet, incredibly hot and slightly raspy something slid over my left ass cheek. I turned my head to find Saraf’s head right behind me, his long, sinuous neck allowing him the reach to blow almost too hot breath gently over my naked back. What looked like a very lewd grin was on his draconic face. I had no idea dragons could do lewd expressions but that was most definitely what I saw and it made excitement swirl through my belly.

As I watched him over my shoulder, he opened his mouth and a long, narrow and somewhat wedge-shaped tongue that was forked at the end moved to caress my ass. I drew in a surprised breath at the same slightly raspy feel as earlier and my cock twitched when I realized he’d licked my ass just seconds before. That was deliciously naughty and I liked it.

His tongue near the tip was about the width of my hand and widened to nearly the size my thigh. He was sticking his tongue out a good four feet from his mouth as if showing me what he had. I moaned when he wriggled the tips of his forked tongue between my legs to tickle the undersides of my balls, my imagination taking wild, erotic flight at the possibilities of a dragon tongue and what Saraf could do to me with it.

“Will you touch me, Edenlei?” Saraf asked in a surprisingly soft voice. “Will you bring both of us pleasure while I’m in this form? Will you love all of me?”

“You... you don’t think I’m some sort of deviant to want that? To want to touch you and stroke you intimately while you’re a dragon?” I asked a little uncertainly.

“Do you want to fondle any other dragon?” Saraf asked before licking my ass cheek again, one of the tips of his tongue sliding along my crack and sending pleasurable shivers up my spine.

“Ewww, no. This is... it’s... I don’t want to be intimate with a dragon. Well, okay, I do want to be with you like this, but you’re the one I love. It doesn’t matter what you look like. I love the person you are in whatever shape you take.”

I turned to face Saraf and placed my hands on either side of his enormous muzzle. He was a god, my god, but I didn’t think he understood, really understood, my feelings for him. He said he knew I loved him as more than my god but I felt like he was missing something. Perhaps it was because he didn’t love me like I loved him; he couldn’t grasp the scope of my feelings and was why he thought I wouldn’t accept everything that he was.

“I love you down to the depths of my soul. I always have and I always will. Nothing will ever change that. Not even when you grow bored of me and move on to your next lover. I will still love you. I will gratefully take whatever time I get with you now and cherish the memories we make for when you’re with someone new. I’ll be very sad that you don’t share my bed any more, but I accept that because of what you’ve decided to share with me now, which is so much more than I ever thought I’d have. This time together with you is _my_ treasure and there will never be enough words to express my thanks for giving me that.

“I hope that even after you find someone new, we can still talk. Beyond my prayers to you I mean. Aside from the utterly stellar sex, I enjoy just being with you even if we’ve had precious little of that time. I absolutely meant what I said before, too. I will never willingly share my body with another even if that means living the rest of my fairly long life alone and untouched by any hand save mine. I am yours, Saraf. In this life and, gods willing, in the next as well. You have my solemn oath on that.”

One minute I was cupping the immense jaw of a glorious dragon and the next I was being squeezed nearly breathless by Saraf, the man. Saraf mumbled something about being stupid and I pushed uselessly against his hold, a spark of anger igniting in me. I wasn’t being stupid. I knew exactly what I’d committed myself to and I did so gladly. I glared at Saraf and was surprised to see embarrassment and chagrin in his face.

“I assumed you had more knowledge of dragons, given what I am and what you are to me, than you apparently do. You should have more knowledge. All my Chosen should. Obviously I need to look into my Faith and see where things have gone wrong. I have no idea why my holy texts don’t mention my other form. It’s supposed to be there. It should be written there. That it’s not is troubling and I will be looking into that.

“You have no idea what a dragon pearl is, do you? You had no clue what I was saying to you when I called you my pearl of immeasurable price, did you? By the Great-Father, I’m an ass to have not realized it sooner,” Saraf said with a regretful sigh. “I caused you pain when that’s the last thing I ever want to do and for that, I’m deeply sorry.”

I shook my head. Now I was utterly confused.

“A dragon pearl is something that has no measurable value because there aren’t enough riches in the world to come even close to the value of it. If a dragon manages to find his or her pearl, it is closely guarded. A dragon will move heaven and earth to keep it safe or get it back should the unthinkable happen and it is taken. To destroy a pearl is to invoke the most terrible wrath that possibly rivals a god’s. The earth would tremble in fear if anything were to happen to mine, since not only am I a dragon but a god as well. A dragon pearl holds the heart and soul of the dragon it belongs to, keeping those things safe from harm. You, Edenlei, are my pearl.”

I stared at Saraf; sure I hadn’t heard him right. How could I be Saraf’s pearl? I wasn’t special enough to be so important. Why would he even think to entrust me with something so precious as his heart and soul? Yes I loved him and I’d do anything for him but I didn’t think I was worthy of the task of guarding his heart and soul.

“I love you, Edenlei. Not only as your god but as your lover and I have loved you for quite some time. Even before I finally had the pleasure of you in my arms, I have loved you. I’ve existed for longer than you can imagine and yet I’ve never told a lover that I loved them. Only you. I will never leave you for anyone else. There isn’t anyone who could take your place nor would I want anyone to even try. If they did, they’d fail miserably no matter how hard they tried. A dragon only ever has one pearl and it can never be replaced. That is why it is so precious and beyond price. A dragon that has lost their pearl is a soulless, heartless creature that is best destroyed for the good of all, not the least of which is the dragon himself.

“I marked your hair to show you had the favour of a god and branded your arm as a visible sign that you belonged to a dragon lord. I did those things because aside from desperately wanting to ward off anyone from you I wanted the satisfaction of seeing you marked as mine since I was already yours. While those marks please me greatly, neither one is the mark I truly wanted to give you from the moment you quite literally fell into my lap. I wanted to ease you into the idea of becoming mine in a more permanent way but as with so much about dealing with you, my patience to let you get use to things simply never seems to happen. I swear to you I am normally exceptionally patient.”

I was asleep and dreaming. I had to be. There was no other explanation. Saraf loved me? Really and truly loved me and had for some time? How? Why? Not that I was questioning my amazing good fortune, but what had I done to win the affection of a god and the heart of a dragon? Saraf looked a little anxious again and his grip on me tightened slightly as if afraid I’d pull away from him. Like there was a chance of that ever happening.

“I’d like you to bear my god-mark. This is not lightly done, Edenlei. Out of literally hundreds of gods, I know of very few that have given their god-mark to their partners. I’m absolutely sure that I want to do this with you but I want you to think carefully before you answer because once it’s done, it can’t be undone. You would have a drop of my power fused to you and would become more or less immortal, living as long as I do. It’s like a fusing ceremony but at the level of a god.”

I was absolutely flabbergasted. I didn’t even know such a thing existed. As far as I was concerned, there was nothing for me to think over. To be with Saraf, to give him my love and receive his in return was all I wished for but had never had the courage to pray for. I started to open my mouth to say yes when Saraf rested a dragon-clawed finger over my lips, keeping me from saying anything.

“I want you to think fully on it, Edenlei. There is no going back or changing your mind once my mark is placed on you. Not even the Great-Father can remove a god-mark freely given and accepted. I won’t abandon you if you refuse. I’ll be... disappointed is not a strong enough word but I don’t want to pressure you or have you say yes simply because I want you to say yes. I’ll abide by your decision, whatever it is, and you saying no won’t make me love you any less. I’ll still ask if you’ve changed your mind now and again, but until you freely grant me the honour of bearing my god-mark, it won’t happen.

“I should give you some time alone to think about it and all it would mean for you to have my god-mark but I don’t want to right now. I did without the pleasure of you next to me for several days already while I dealt with other duties. Now, I’m going to be a selfish god and steal you away to my home for tonight where you’ll sleep snuggled in my arms and wake to the feel of me pressed tight to you. I promise you, you’ll have time to think over what I’ve offered. It just won’t be tonight because I can’t stand the thought of not having you in my arms after days apart.”

Saraf kissed me with a gentleness that made my heart ache. I really didn’t need to think about my answer. I already knew that being with him was the only place I’d be happy. I’d been perfectly willing to settle for any little crumbs of his attention for as long as they fell around me. To be handed the keys to the larder and told that everything within was mine and to do as I pleased... I had no words for the amount of joy I was feeling.

If it made Saraf feel better to think he was giving me a choice, then fine. He could have his illusion. But, I’d been his from the very beginning; before I’d even met him in person by falling into his lap, I’d been his. It did make me insanely happy though to have the love I felt for him returned. To have our relationship officially recognized, so to speak, wasn’t required as far as I was concerned but it thrilled me and left me feeling euphoric. This new development between me and Saraf was going to blow Fanji’s mind when I told him.


	10. Chapter 10

** Chapter 10 **

~Saraf~

I couldn’t believe that I’d been so stupid. I should’ve picked up on the sadness I caught glimpses of in Edenlei’s eyes now and again when he’d look at me and at the very least asked him what was making him sad. It pained me greatly to know that he’d been under the impression that he was just a pleasant distraction for me; a fun new bed toy that I’d tire of soon enough and then move on to the next warm body that caught my fancy.

I wasn’t omnipotent when it came to matters of the heart but I could see more than the average person if I bothered to use my third eye. Fine, I did think it was a bit rude to see deeper into a person than others could without that person’s permission, but I should’ve paid more attention to the shadows that had flitted over Edenlei’s beautiful eyes. I would make it up to him. He would know with absolute certainty that he was utterly and completely adored by me.

My Priesthood had some answering to do. They were the main keepers of the knowledge of my faith and it was part of their duties to educate all who followed me in the ways of my dogma. It was baffling that Edenlei seemed to know almost nothing of dragons aside from what any common person would know. I could see some information being lost over time, especially some of the more uncommon facets of dragon lore. But to not know even the barest information of what a dragon pearl was when it was such a prized possession of not only me but any dragon who was fortunate enough to find one... it boggled my mind. To not even know that I could become a dragon was stunning in a very bad way.

Odd things were happening in my faith now that I was looking more closely at it. I was embarrassed that I hadn’t been paying closer attention to the goings on there, the demands of other things taking precedence. I had been more occupied with dragon matters for the last little while but that was no excuse for me letting matters of my godhood slide. I was still receiving all the fealty I was owed as a god but now that I thought about it, there was something a little off about the prayers from my faithful. I sifted back through decades and even a few centuries of worship, looking for the start of when changes began to be made. It was a subtle shift and I almost missed it.

Three hundred or so years ago there’d been a few radical Priests who felt my dragon half wasn’t as important as my god half and began a quiet removal of things related to my draconic heritage within my dogma. I’d known about it and fully intended to put a stop to that but there’d been a heated dispute among some dragons during the time that was going on in my Priesthood. My father, Auxshunoriz, King of Metallic dragons, asked for my aid in settling the dispute among the dragons to avoid a war.

Aside from my fealty to my father concerning dragon issues, warring dragon factions would’ve been bad for more than just the dragons involved. By the time everything was sorted out to the satisfaction of all parties, my wayward Priests had been destroying records for nearly five years, virtually unchecked by me. They’d also used my almost constant absence on draconic matters as another reason to put aside the dragon part of me and focus more on the god, telling the people that if they put more weight on the god side of me, I’d come back to them and not forsake them again.

I’d obviously been far too lenient in letting some of those Priests live. I could see now that the ones left alive by my mercy had continued their misguided quest to slowly erase the dragon side of me from whatever they could. I had to give them credit for the patience and planning as well as the subtly that had gone into their work. There were a few very, very old Priests who still lived, having been barely initiates when the first attempt to eradicate my dragon side started. They’d likely be horrified to know that, from a dragon standpoint, I was impressed with their long end game and that it was worthy of any dragon’s far reaching plans.

That wasn’t to say that I’d let what they’d done stand. They would be punished before I allowed them to die and that punishment would be extremely unpleasant for them. Apparently I needed to give them an abject lesson about displeasing a god who was also a dragon. Rebuilding the knowledge base of dragons among my Chosen was going to be tedious, but Edenlei would be able to help there. Of course he’d have access to all the books and scrolls he could possibly want or need and if there was something he couldn’t find the answer to, all he needed to do was ask me and I’d tell him what I knew. On the off chance I didn’t know something, I _was_ the Lord of Metallic Dragons and I’d simply have someone brought to him to answer his questions. If he needed it, I could easily get him an audience with my father, the King of Metallic Dragons, and if he didn’t know something about dragons, it wasn’t worth knowing.

Edenlei sighed softly in his sleep and snuggled closer to me, the arm he had draped over my waist tightening briefly, his lips ghosting over my shoulder. As easy as that, Edenlei yanked my attention away from the serious problem within the ranks of my Chosen and turned that attention completely onto himself and he wasn’t even trying.

I turned my head and kissed him lightly on the forehead, happiness and a feeling of rightness filling me. This was exactly where Edenlei was supposed to be. In my arms, in my bed, naked and relaxed. A soft chuckle slipped from me at the thought that I was so excited to finally have him where he needed to be that I couldn’t fall asleep and enjoy that which I’d told him I wanted. I was severely tempted to wake him and make slow, sweet love to him. I curbed the impulse and let him sleep even though my cock and balls protested vigorously.

In an effort to let Edenlei sleep, I turned my mind turned to the additional problem of the necromancer that was animating and controlling dead dragons.

Not long after I sent Dzaghig to my seat, a dead dragon had shown up with someone riding it. I’d stayed in the clearing, Dzaghig’s concealment spell easy to reactivate, waiting to surprise the necromancer. I didn’t need the spell to be undetected, but I wanted to terrify the unsuspecting necromancer with just who was waiting for him. He was going to be in for a very rude awakening when the dragon he thought he’d cornered turned out to be so much more.

I was grudgingly impressed when he dispelled Dzaghig’s work without much apparent effort. While hastily cast, Dzaghig had still done a fine job of it and I revised my opinion of how much power this necromancer had. I wasn’t worried about him actually doing something to harm me. I was a god after all. However, I also wasn’t stupid enough to think that he couldn’t possibly do something to try to hurt or even kill me. There were weapons that could hurt or even kill a god and if this person was powerful enough to command dead dragons, then it wasn’t entirely out of the realm of possibility that he’d managed to acquire a god-killing weapon somewhere along the way. I highly doubted he was god-touched and able to effectively wield a god-killing weapon but it would still hurt like fuck if he managed to land a hit on me with one.

The rush of expressions on the necromancer’s face when Dzaghig’s spell broke and revealed me was priceless. Triumph was washed away by fury when the dragon he expected was not what he got. Shock quickly followed, chased by fear. I had no doubt that he knew exactly who I was. There wasn’t any other Metallic dragon that looked like me. Considering that he’d also once paraded around with my non-dragon form claiming to be me... he knew exactly who I was. I was tempted to simply kill him then and there but I had some questions that I wanted answers to and those answers would be out of my grasp if I turned him into a charred husk like I wanted to.

Proving he had far more brains than bravado, the necromancer wasted no time in trying to flee. It wasn’t a successful attempt but it also showed me that he was far more dangerous than I initially thought and had more power than a mortal should. The one riding the dead dragon wasn’t the actual mage I wanted to question but some poor soul in the necromancer’s service. He’d sent a puppet to capture Dzaghig while staying back safe and sound wherever it was he was hold up. Once he realized who was facing him and that his servant had been caught, he withdrew his magic from the dragon corpse and his puppet.

There’d been no time for me to trace him back through his magic before it was gone and I’d cursed long and loud. The dragon collapsed into a heap of rotting skin and bones. The puppet laid prone, his breath wheezing in his chest and his eyes turning milky with blindness. Years crawled over the man quickly turning him frail and elderly before my very eyes. He reached his hand toward me, pain etched over his face, his expression pleading. My jaw clenched briefly and I spat a gout of fire at the wretched thing, burning him to ash in seconds and ending his suffering.

The necromancer hadn’t only been using the man as a puppet to keep himself safe from harm but had also been leaching the life from the man. Having his puppet caught, the usefulness of the man was done and the mage forcefully sucked away what life was left in the man. The necromancer was going to die and I was going to make sure it was in as painful a way as I could make it.

I heard the almost soundless patter of running feet seconds before two heads popped up at the edge of the bed. I sighed softly when tiny hands fisted in the bedcovers, the twins scrambling up uninvited onto the bed. They made a bee-line for Edenlei, stumbling to a halt at his back and poking him in the shoulder repeatedly before I could stop them. Edenlei rolled to his back, mumbling in his sleep, and the twins danced out of the way before he could squash them with his weight. As quick as lightening they nestled in the crook of his arms, one on each side, and smiled as they closed their eyes, snuggling against him with every indication that they intended to sleep where they were. I stared in amused disbelief.

I’d known there was a good chance that the twins would become attached to Edenlei when I left them in his care. Dragonlings were very impressionable when they were as young as the twins and Edenlei was a good, kind and loving man. If I was completely honest, I’d hoped that they’d form a close bond with him. While very young, they were still dragons and quite impressive spell-weavers for ones their age. They could help protect Edenlei if I wasn’t around and they’d be more inclined to do it without my asking or telling them too if they genuinely liked him. I hadn’t thought they’d take such a strong liking to him so quickly that they’d actually invade my room to sleep cuddled in his arms. It was adorable, yes, and I loved that Edenlei embraced them in his sleep but I was also annoyed that Edenlei wasn’t in my arms, snuggled next to me, which was where he was meant to be.

A thought had me in my throne room, the twins beside me. They had very disgruntled looks on their faces. My lips twitched up in a smirk when they tried to teleport themselves back to Edenlei and couldn’t. Their skills in teleportation were still in the barest beginner stage, the distance they could move themselves accurately, small and easily travelled on foot. I also wasn’t letting them teleport back to Edenlei’s arms and their magic would never be a match for my power no matter how old or skilled they became.

“You are not to enter my bedchambers without asking for and receiving permission to do so. Is that clear?” I asked in a stern voice.

“Edenlei said we could sleep with him whenever we liked,” Rhodolite said, a petulant tone in his voice. “He’s sleeping in your room so we can sleep with him there. He said so.”

“Edenlei said it was comforting to have us sleep with him,” Prasiolite added. “You want him to feel comfortable don’t you? Then we need to sleep with him so he’s comfortable.”

It was hard not to smile at the twins but I held it in. They didn’t need any encouragement to run with the idea of sleeping cuddled in Edenlei’s arms.

“Yes, I want him comfortable. I assure you, he’s very comfortable when he’s in my arms. He’d be mortified to wake up naked with the two of you asleep with him.”

“Why? He has a pleasing body. Slim, toned and his skin is the soft, pale yellow of the purest gold. It shouldn’t bother him to have people see him naked,” Prasiolite said with a little frown. Rhodolite nodded agreement. “His face isn’t pretty like his friend Fanji, but he’s got a very nice body.”

“His people aren’t very comfortable with nakedness in most situations,” I said even though I agreed with them on the very pleasing attributes of Edenlei’s body.

“But they take baths together and they’re naked then,” Rhodolite said. “Edenlei said they sometimes go swimming without clothes on, too. They wouldn’t do that if they didn’t want others seeing their bare bodies.”

“Taking a bath is different from walking in on someone when they weren’t expecting to be seen naked. Same thing with swimming naked although I think there are probably other things going on when that happens.”

“But it doesn’t matter. We already saw Edenlei naked and freshly fucked by you when we came to tell you about our sire being found,” Prasiolite argued.

“He doesn’t know that and he’d be mortified to find out that you’ve seen him in such a state.”

They didn’t understand why Edenlei would be horrified and it’d likely take years for them to fully realize that many species didn’t feel comfortable with others seeing them in their most private, intimate moments. Dragons didn’t suffer from issues with nudity or intimacy; their own or someone else’s in public or private.

“Regardless, the two of you are not to enter my bedchamber without permission given by either me or Edenlei. Is that clear?” To make sure I’d be obeyed, I put a healthy amount of godly command in my voice.

I got two very sulky replies in the affirmative. They weren’t happy about not being able to freely wander in and out of my chambers when Edenlei was there, but they’d wait for permission. It pleased me greatly that they were already so close to Edenlei. A tiny smile lifted the corners of my lips when I thought that it was likely a good thing I’d already put my dragon mark on Edenlei or else the twins might’ve been tempted to put their mark on him.

“If you want to harass someone, I did find your sire and brought him here. His name is Dzaghig and he’s currently being chased by a necromancer who wants one of his spells. I’ll be handling that situation shortly and under no circumstances are you to involve yourselves in that. The necromancer is extremely dangerous. Dangerous enough to cause serious harm to a dragon as good a spellcaster as your sire and to fatally wound your mother, who was also very good at spellcasting. The two of you would be utterly outmatched against this necromancer and likely used as leverage by him to get this spell from your sire. Your mother died to keep this spell from the necromancer. Don’t let her death be in vain with some crazy idea of confronting him.

“In the mean time, if you want to go seek your sire out, you have permission to do so. Be advised that he’s suffered quite a bit and isn’t in the best shape right now. He’ll need time to recover. He was very pleased to hear that not only did the two of you live, but that you’d already done something extraordinary by transforming while in the egg. Go introduce yourselves and be polite. Edenlei said he’d been teaching the two of you manners and that you were coming along well. Don’t make a liar of him.”

Prasiolite gave me an offended look and Rhodolite scowled. I held back the smirk that wanted to appear. Prasiolite grabbed his brother’s hand and they stomped out of the room, their tiny backs stiff with indignation. They’d have better than excellent behaviour in front of Dzaghig if only to prove to me that I was wrong to question the manners Edenlei had been trying to teach them.

Dealing with the twins done for now, a thought had me back in our bed, Edenlei held tight in my arms. I pressed my nose to his hair and inhaled slowly, the scent of mangos, almonds and that special something that was pure Edenlei filling my lungs. My cock firmed and I gave serious consideration once again to being an asshole and waking Edenlei from his peaceful sleep so I could love him into exhaustion and fill our chambers with the scent of our lovemaking. Once more I made my cock unhappy by letting Edenlei sleep. I consoled myself with the thought that he’d be able to keep up with my demands if he was well rested. Not that he’d had any trouble sating my needs before which further proved to me that he was meant to be with me.

*****

I woke to the feel of a warm, wet tongue bathing my cock between soft kisses along my length. A low growl of pleasure left my throat and I opened my eyes to the truly delightful sight of Edenlei licking my cock, his expression lustful. He smiled at me when he saw I was awake, his hand stroking over my belly, sending shivers of delight through me.

“Good morning, Lord Saraf. Can I offer you my prayers now?” Edenlei asked with a teasing brush of his fingers over my balls.

“You are my most favoured and beloved. Regardless of what I’m doing, whenever or wherever I happen to be, I’ll always hear your voice and gladly accept any prayers you wish to send me,” I said as I covered the hand on my belly, squeezing his fingers lightly. “Anything you share with me will be treasured like the most precious pearl that it is.”

Edenlei’s smile was beautiful and full of love. By the Great-Father, he was the most enchanting creature to ever walk the earth. He lowered his head and kissed the tip of my cock before opening his mouth and giving me the supreme pleasure of an early morning blow-job. Considering it was only the second time he’d ever given head it was still a damn fine cock sucking that made lust settle heavily in my balls. Edenlei was completely focused on his task, pouring all of his considerable attention into making me come. His efforts to please me were made even more erotic by the prayer he gave me.

_“Lord Saraf, I beg of you, as your devoted Geomancer, to let me pleasure you. Let me see your arousal and know I was the cause. Let me hear you groan in delight as I worship you so intimately. Let me feel your body tighten in anticipation of release from my ministrations. Let me taste the headiness of your seed and feel the heat of it fill my mouth before the warmth of it hits my belly and rushes through me to the very tips of my fingers and toes. I humbly beg of you to allow me the experience the exquisite bliss of your orgasm and know I was the cause.”_

I wanted to slide my dick into Edenlei’s perfect ass and find release there, our bodies joined as one, but the words of his prayer, utterly heartfelt and thick with his own arousal were impossible to resist. I could deny him very little, something I didn’t think he realized yet. When what he asked for was what I wanted, I was powerless to do anything but concede to what we both desired.

My fingers tangled in his long beautiful hair and I moved his head more forcefully over my cock. He didn’t protest that and actually moaned softly around the length of cock I pushed into his mouth, the sound erotic and enticing. I wanted to thrust deep into his mouth but didn’t think he was ready for that yet. Eventually, yes, I was sure that he’d be able to take me to the root with practice; practice I was sure we’d both enjoy. For now it was more than enough to have him worship my cock with lips and tongue as he was. His tiny sounds of pleasure as he sucked were my undoing. I pushed my cock into his mouth as far as I dared without choking him, a low growl twisting from my throat as I came.

Edenlei locked eyes with me as I filled his mouth with my seed, the passion and love in his look, staggering. The dragon in me roared to life and an intense sense of possession coursed through me at the knowledge that my mate had lovingly taken my seed into his body and would gladly do so again as many times as I could provide it.

I needed to know everything about Edenlei in that moment. Yes, I could’ve just asked him how he felt and he would’ve told me without hesitation. But I wanted to know in ways that mere words couldn’t convey. I used my third eye to see the energy that surrounded him as he swallowed what I gave him, heightening my pleasure. What I saw made me moan with gratification and forced another spurt from my balls when I thought I’d given him all that I had in that instant.

A golden light of intense joy glowed through his entire being, radiating several feet from his body. Deep reds and purples of lust and arousal pulsed through the golden light. Pale greens of compassion and understanding swirled around him. Multiple shades of blue overlaid the other colours and spoke of his mental and mystical strength. The dark pink of a deep, abiding love for me coloured everything I saw.

Seeing him that way was easily one of the most beautiful, awe inspiring things it had ever been my pleasure to see. It was more beautiful than seeing Heaven in all its glory and I would know as I’d been there more times than I could count. I was deeply humbled and grateful to know that I’d be able to see the amazing colour display of Edenlei’s love and devotion for me virtually any time I wanted. I got the feeling that I was going to want to see that aspect of him quite often. Possibly as much as I wanted to see him naked and writhing with pleasure on my cock.

Edenlei backed off my cock slowly and licked his lips before moving up my body to kiss me. He stretched his body over mine, settling to fit absolutely perfectly against me, his firm cock nestling against my spent one. I hugged him tight to me, the urge to never let him get more than arms-length from me impossibly strong. He tasted of me when he kissed me and I adored the mixed flavour of me and him on his lips. I could smell his arousal, the fragrance heady enough to stir my cock into stiffening without a drop of godly power making that happen. A possessive growl rumbled through my chest and I slid a finger down the crack of his ass to tease his hole. Edenlei broke the kiss, his eyes widening in surprise as he felt my once again hard cock against him.

“You’re hard already? But I just... you... umm, wow. Not that I’m complaining because I’d really like to have you inside me in the next few minutes when I get off, but how?”

I laughed. “I told you that gods and dragons had strong appetites. Where you’re concerned, I’ll always be more than ready to go. I can certainly do something about what you want right now. It pleases me to please you.”

Edenlei smiled in anticipation before his mouth opened in surprise and he gasped as I guided my cock into him. I’d never abused my powers as a god so much in such a short period of time on one person as I had with Edenlei. That was twice in the span of less than twelve hours that I prepared him for me with a thought just so neither of us would need to wait for him to be ready naturally. Not that I thought Edenlei was going to protest, his breathy little whimpers of pleasure as I thrust shallowly into him music to my ears.

“I really like this aspect of your godhood,” Edenlei moaned before kissing me again, his tongue teasing mine.

I gently pushed him back from the kiss and chuckled as I stroked his cheek. “It does have its perks. This time is for you, my pearl. Ride me and take your pleasure as you wish.”

I pushed Edenlei up until he sat in my lap, my cock buried deep in his ass. He groaned and his beautiful eyes fluttered closed. He licked his lips and his fingernails scraped against the skin of my belly as he curled them into fists. I was still watching him with my third eye and the colours surrounding him intensified, supersaturating him and spreading outward from his body a good five feet. It felt exactly like warm sunshine on my skin like when I basked in the sun in my dragon form and that was a wonderful sensation. I’d never seen or felt anything like it with a bed-mate in my very long life and I was even more enchanted with Edenlei.

Edenlei rocked his hips, grinding his ass down on my cock. He moaned his pleasure and licked his lips again as the scent of his need grew making my lust surge. I struggled against the desire to put my hands on his hips and move him in a way we’d both enjoy when I’d just told him to take his pleasure as he wished. I settled for caressing his thigh with one hand and wrapping my dragon hand around his cock, stroking him in time with the motion of his hips.

He groaned and his eyes opened to stare at me for a moment, a staggering amount of lust in his gaze, before he looked down to where I was jerking him off. He stroked his fingers over the back of my hand teasing his cock, delicately tracing over the raised, stylized dragon design on my hand before gliding his fingers over the golden scales of my forearm. I growled lowly when he began plucking one of his hard nipples with his other hand, his soft sounds of pleasure from the motion making me brush aside his hand to do it for him. Selfishly, I wanted to be the sole thing responsible for making him need and then be the one to ease that need.

“That feels too good. I’m going to come, Saraf,” Edenlei panted, his hips moving faster and his fingers circling my wrist to pull my hand away from his nipple.

“Isn’t that the point?” I asked with a grin. Although I’d only seen it a handful of times, I loved seeing him give himself over to the ecstasy of his release. “I said to take your pleasure as you wished.”

Edenlei stopped moving with obvious effort, his chest heaving as he struggled to catch his breath. I loved the little flutters of his ass squeezing my cock buried deep in him. His expression was fierce and serious and he covered my hand on his cock, stilling the motion. I could feel the aroused tension in his body and knew he wanted to keep fucking himself on my cock but he also apparently had something important to say and that was, at least temporarily, overriding his desire to find release. It amused me that he wanted to say what he felt he needed to now but Edenlei was a complex man, something I deeply enjoyed about him. I wasn’t the one suffering from denied release so I let him do as he pleased.

“No. Well not entirely. I want to feel you come inside me first. I want to enjoy the sensation of your cock pulsing in my ass, filling me with your seed.” A blush pinkened his cheeks. “I love the way it feels physically, mentally and emotionally to receive your essence into my body. I can’t bear you any children but it still thrills me to my very core to have a bellyful of your seed. That sounds really weird when I say it out loud but it’s the truth. I feel... fulfilled. Claimed, too, if that makes any sense. I like feeling claimed by you. It satisfies a need in me that I didn’t know I had until our first time together.”

Edenlei was in serious danger of over inflating the ego of a god and we certainly didn’t need any boosts to our egos as it was. It was also a very humbling thing to hear that he was so deeply affected by something I considered almost a by-product of sorts of my orgasm. Certainly, I felt intense satisfaction with my release, even more so with Edenlei as my lover. It never even crossed my mind that he’d enjoy having my spunk inside him beyond the obvious pleasure of how it happened to get inside him. I’d never had any lover say what he did. Even if I had, I highly doubted those words would give me the same intense satisfaction that hearing them from Edenlei’s lips did.

When I thought about it, his words made perfect sense to my dragon side and further proved to me that Edenlei was truly my pearl of immeasurable price. Yes, I loved him with my whole heart and he loved me just as fiercely. But it went deeper than that and I was a little awed at the connection we shared. He seemed to instinctively understand what sex and the gift of seed between us, a dragon and his mate, was about. Platinum dragons, such as my father, would bred with only one mate over the course of their very, very long life. The act of breeding among platinum dragons was always one of claiming and while I could never get Edenlei with child, there was definitely a breeding mindset going on in the back of my head when I enjoyed the pleasures of him.

“As you wish, my wondrous pearl. Anything for you,” I said as I regretfully let go of his cock and settled my hands on his hips.

Moving Edenlei up and down my cock while I was flat on my back was as easy as lifting a feather. I was careful not to use too much force as he was still mortal and I didn’t want to hurt him with my eagerness. That light touch lasted only half a dozen thrusts before Edenlei demanded in a breathless voice that I move faster, harder and that he wanted me to come. Now.

He didn’t need to ask twice. I gripped his hips firmly enough to leave bruises and pulled him roughly onto my cock while thrusting my hips up hard. Edenlei groaned and the scent of his arousal spiked, fanning the flames of mine. I let go of the hold I’d had on my desire to find release and pumped quickly into Edenlei as my arousal crested. I jerked him down onto my cock and roared as my cock pulsed deep in his ass. Edenlei tipped his head back and moaned his pleasure.

The bliss from finding release in Edenlei made it hard to focus on anything other than how good my cock felt buried deep in the one I adored. But I wanted to see him in his pleasure. I needed to see the enchanting colours around him swirl and pulse and come alive because of how good I made him feel and the love we shared. I had to see that now before my post-sex glow faded.

“Now you, my love,” I said as I began moving him forcefully over my still firm cock. “I want the pleasure of your release spattered over my belly. I want to feel your ass squeezing every last drop of my seed from my cock as you come.”

“Oh fuck that sounds so deliciously naughty,” Edenlei said with a breathless laugh. “You’re still hard, too. I’m seriously loving that aspect of your godhood. I am forever yours to command, Lord Saraf.”

A smile kicked up one corner of my mouth. “Then obey your god and you will be rewarded for your fealty, Geomancer Edenlei. Come. Now.”

I moved him faster over my cock, revelling in the sensation of driving into the hot slickness I’d put in his ass with my last orgasm. Edenlei looked at me and the love and faith I saw in his eyes made my breath catch from the weight of the emotions I was feeling and seeing. I’d never get tired of that look in his eyes. To keep seeing that look I could literally move heaven and earth if that was what it took to have that expression on his face every day.

“I want one thing first,” Edenlei panted as he brushed his fingers over my jaw in a soft caress. He strained against my continuing to move him over my cock so I let him stop, his tight little ass nestled perfectly in my lap, my cock buried to the root inside him. By the Great-Father, he was simply amazing.

“Anything. If it is within my power, you shall have it. If it’s beyond me, I’ll find a way to get it for you.”

“Your god-mark. I want it now. I need it now. I didn’t need time to think about it. I never did. That was purely for you. There would never be any other answer but yes from me. I have always been yours and I always will be.”

My heart jumped into triple time. My dragon side roared triumphantly but I wanted Edenlei to be sure. He must’ve seen something in my face because he smiled and leaned forward to kiss me. It was sweet and heartfelt with a dash of the sassiness I loved. When he pulled back from the kiss, I swore there wasn’t a more beautiful, arousing creature on the planet than Edenlei.

“Make me yours, Lord Saraf, God of Primal Flame, Lord of Metallic Dragons and keeper of my heart. Give me what we both want. You can see the truth of my words, can’t you? There is no doubt in my mind or my heart that this is the right thing to do. I will love you to the end of time if you but let me.”

Edenlei was right. I could see the truth of his words not only in his eyes but in the wondrous riot of colours surrounding him. I wouldn’t question him. He was a smart man and knew both his heart and mind. I took his left hand in my right hand, covering the back of his hand with my palm.

“It will hurt but only briefly. Like the mark I gave you on your arm but more intense. You’ll also feel the weight of my power as a god and while you might feel like it’ll crush you, it won’t. Thank you, Edenlei. You honour me by accepting all that I am with your whole heart and soul without reservations. You are my one and only pearl of immeasurable price,” I said in a soft voice as I sat up and kissed him gently on the lips.

I pulled back from the kiss and drew in a slow breath. On the exhale I eased the control I kept on my godhood. I’d never exposed a mortal to the full breadth of my godhood, the power simply too immense for a mortal to bear without killing them. I wasn’t going to let Edenlei feel all of it while he was mortal as that would end his life, but I did need to set a large part of it free in order to give him the god-mark we both wanted him to have. He was one of my Geomancers and one of the more powerful ones I’d had in my service, which should make it a little easier on him to bear the weight of my power. Edenlei was also stronger than he thought on a mystical level which would further make being exposed to the power of a god bearable for him.

Even so, it would be a heavy press on him to feel not even half of my power. A mature dragon with thousands of years behind him would find it difficult to bear the press of that much of my godhood and dragons were creatures of immense magical power. I wouldn’t expose him to that much but it would certainly be edging into the upper limits for a mortal with strong mystical powers. Once Edenlei was marked, he’d be able to withstand not only my full godhood but that of other gods as well. I felt a little giddy at the idea of being completely myself with him; no restraints on my powers, spiritual or physical. It was a heady thing to contemplate.

Edenlei’s mouth opened in a little oh and pink touched his cheeks again as I eased my tight control on my godhood. His cock, where it pressed lightly against my belly, twitched and the inner muscles of his ass fluttered over my still hard cock. He breathed a little faster and I could smell his excitement increase. A male dragon tended to stay hard for several hours when breeding, covering his chosen female over and over again to fertilize as many of her eggs as possible. I’d already acknowledged to myself that I saw sex with Edenlei as breeding despite him not being female so my continued erection and insanely short refraction time made perfect sense to me. Given Edenlei’s reaction, I highly doubted he minded my staying firm and was enjoying it quite a bit.

I let more power flow over him and he squirmed, his blush deepening and his cock throbbing between us. A low growl of approval trickled from my throat at his movements and the rising scent of his arousal. More of my power washed over him and he started to breathe faster still, almost panting. I raised an eyebrow at him when I realized that he found the growing strength of my power erotic. His blush deepened and I thought he looked even more beautiful.

“It feels really good. Hot and silky and sensuous. I can handle more, Saraf. Maybe not a lot more without coming, but a lot more without it breaking me,” Edenlei said as he wriggled his hips encouragingly.

I laughed in delight. “Then you shall have more, my wondrous pearl.”

I let my power flow over him faster, an immense sense of pride filling me when he withstood more than a third of my power without begging for mercy. His face was flushed and he was starting to sweat but that seemed to be more to do with him trying to hold back his orgasm than problems he was having bearing the weight of a god’s power. He could take more but not without losing himself in release, something he didn’t want to happen until he had my god-mark, or the weight of my power crushing him. His erotic reaction to my power was something we would definitely be playing with in later lovemaking. I now wanted to see if I could make him orgasm just from the feel of my power surrounding him. Later though. I had a god-mark to give to the man I loved.

“Saraf, please, I want your god-mark before I come. Please. Either stop me from finding release or give the mark to me now because I like the way your power makes me feel far too much to take on more and not find my peak.” He said between breaths, his hips undulating, thrilling us both.

“So utterly perfect for me. As you wish,” I said before kissing him. “Geomancer Edenlei, do you accept my god-mark of your own free will, forsaking all others and binding your life to mine?”

“I am yours in all ways, Lord Saraf. It is my greatest honour and deepest pleasure to receive your god-mark. I accept your mark and swear upon my soul to have no other but you. You are my everything and I give you my heart to keep safe within your own.”

Despite his obvious arousal and how close he was to finding release, his voice was steady and there was absolute conviction in his tone. The colours surrounding him were wild and intense, spreading even further from his body than before. It was like seeing an explosion of rainbows when sunlight struck a faceted diamond.

“Geomancer Edenlei, you are my one and only pearl of immeasurable price. You already have my dragon heart. I offer you my heart as a god as well with this mark.”

I moved my hand from his and made a fist, the claws on the tips of my fingers piercing the flesh of my palm and drawing blood. I moved my hand back over Edenlei’s hand and quickly dug my bloodied claws into the back of his hand; breaking the skin and making him bleed. He hissed sharply but didn’t flinch away from what I knew was at least a little painful. I pressed my sluggishly bleeding palm to his freely bleeding hand and sent some of my power as a god into our mixing blood, fusing that power to him.

Edenlei shuddered and moaned but the sound wasn’t one of pain. His body intimately tightened around my cock and a pleasure shiver dance down my spine at the feel of that. I sent another burst of power through our mingled blood, the heat of primal flame branding his skin in an instant with the same dragon design that was on the back of my hand. I hated that I needed to hurt Edenlei to give him my god-mark but there was no other way for it to happen.

He shrieked and instinctively tried to jerk his hand from mine to avoid the pain. I held tight to his hand and fully released my godhood, letting my power bathe him and hopefully distract him from the hot, sharp pain of the burn. It was a more powerful marking than what I’d given him as a dragon but the hurt should disappear almost as quickly especially since he was now engulfed by the full weight of my power as a god. His head dropped to my shoulder and he moaned softly as his cock began spurting between our bellies, his ass clenching and releasing my cock.

I hissed sharply at the glorious pleasure, my balls drawing tight before I began to come again, the sensation of his body finding release pushing me to my own once more. Edenlei groaned and shivered, his legs tightening around my hips. I bit his shoulder and growled as I emptied into him again, dragon instincts demanding I dominate and hold my mate tight to me as bred him. Edenlei’s free hand tangled in my hair at the base of my skull but not to pull me off. He pressed my head to his shoulder and groaned out a yes. As the last spurt left my cock, I released the bite hold and gently licked the angry red teeth marks I’d made, a deep sense of satisfaction moving through me at seeing that he had another of my claiming marks on him, temporary as it was. He drew in great gulping breaths, tiny quivers running though him before he collected himself enough to speak.

“That was amazing. I don’t think I can move though. I feel energized but like an overcooked noodle at the same time and I think the noodle part is winning. And I’m now really, really tired.”

_“You did wonderfully, my beautiful pearl. Rest. I’ll take care of you,”_ I said as I stroked a hand over his back, a feeling of immense peace settling in me now that Edenlei was completely mine.

He moved his head back from my shoulder and looked at me with wide eyes.

“Did you just talk to me in my head? Like really talk and not like a god speaking to one of his Chosen or answering a prayer. It sounds totally different from those things. More... intimate.”

_“The bond between a god and the one god-marked is a powerful and soul deep connection. It transcends the need for speech in a mundane fashion. You can talk to me this way, too. There is no limit either on how close or far apart we may be from each other. We will always be able to hear one another.”_

Edenlei frowned a little. “So you can read my thoughts and I can read yours? I love you so very much but I’m not okay with that, Saraf. Everybody needs some privacy and taking that away from me, even though I love you beyond reason, feels like a violation. I’m not happy that you didn’t tell me this before I accepted your mark. I still would’ve gone ahead with it but I don’t like that you kept this small but immensely important detail from me.”

Judging by the deepening scowl on his face, he was working himself into a fine temper and as wrong as it was, I laughed joyously. I adored the sassiness he had and loved that he could show that he was displeased with me without a drop of fear in him. I was his lover and he did hold my heart but I was still a god, his god, and he knew better than most that inciting a god to anger was often a fatal thing to do.

I grunted at the awkwardly delivered punch to my shoulder and captured his lips in a quick kiss. There was most definitely a little extra power in the punch that he likely didn’t know he was capable of delivering. As the power I’d given him settled through his body, he’d easily have double the physical strength he did before. How much his mystical powers would increase, I wasn’t sure having never given anyone a god-mark before but it would be a very significant increase.

He was already one of my Geomancers and as such had considerable abilities that a typical Fire Elf didn’t. Before accepting my mark he’d been one of the more powerful in my current service and likely would’ve become the most powerful with time and practice. Now... he easily outstripped all my current Geomancers put together and would likely still grow in power as time went on. He was not the type of man to sit idle. I knew he would continue to exercise his abilities and train himself to be stronger in my service because that was simply who he was. He was devoted to me as my lover but he was also devoted to me as the servant of a god.

“No, my lovely pearl, I can’t read your mind. Nor can you read mine. Your and my private thoughts are just that. Private. Like a prayer, you need to direct your words to me in order for me to hear them. Distance or even planes of existence are simply no barriers for us if we wish to speak to one another. We live in each other’s hearts and souls. Nothing can separate us. Not even the considerable might of the Great-Father. To be god-marked is a sacred bond that cannot be broken or muted.”

Edenlei’s entire body relaxed in my hold and he gave me a smile utterly filled with love and trust.

“Oh. Okay. Would you mind terribly if I was so very rude and fell asleep now? I’m truly exhausted. And my ass is a bit sore. Don’t get me wrong, I loved what we did immensely, but I think I need to have more gentle practice making love with you to adjust easier to taking your cock repeatedly and with so much vigor. Even if I really, really liked it.”

I threw my head back and laughed in delight. Edenlei was wonderful on so many different levels. I was amazed and a little embarrassed that I hadn’t realized he was my pearl well before I did. Really, loving him as I did was the only option with him. I kissed him softly on the lips and tightened muscles in my groin, forcing a final, thick and sticky substance into him. He groaned at the feel of my cock giving one last twitch in his ass before I lifted him from my lap and withdrew from his body.

I lay him on his back on the bed, a thought cleaning his seed from both our bellies. I stroked a hand over his belly, a deep sense of satisfaction moving through me at the knowledge that I’d bred my mate and locked my seed inside him. I smiled at him as pulled him into my arms and kissed him.

_“You are so beautiful in so many ways. I feel at peace knowing that you’re mine,”_ I said softly to him as I continued to kiss him. _“I love you, Edenlei.”_

_“I have always been yours, Saraf, and I always will be. I love you, too, Saraf. More than words can ever say.”_

His mental voice thrilled me. It sounded different from when he offered me his prayers. The tone and quality of it was like having him whisper his words into my ear, his lips gently brushing against my skin. It was a far more intimate voice than his prayers, even his erotic ones. Giving Edenlei my god-mark was fast becoming the best decision I’d ever made in my very long life.


	11. Chapter 11

** Chapter 11 **

~Edenlei~

“Saraf, I have duties to attend to,” I said with a little sigh as I stood before him where he lounged upon his throne.

His pose was strongly reminiscent of the statue I’d adored in the out-of-the-way spot in the former temple gardens. My cock twitched as the memory of rubbing my ass against the statue and wishing it was real collided with the very real certainty of doing the same with Saraf right now and having a much, much more satisfying end. Saraf’s eyes sparked with sexual interest and I knew he’d smelled the surge of my arousal. Not that I minded, but, regretfully, my duty came before either of our pleasure. Sometimes being so responsible sucked and not in a fun way.

“You’re my Geomancer. I’m well aware of what your duties are. Your god demands your attention here. Obey me,” Saraf said softly as he captured my hand, drew me to him and caressed my cheek with his dragon hand.

My eyes closed at the touch I seemed to crave. Excitement zipped through me at the knowledge that I could enjoy this touch and many more like it any time I wanted. Saraf would be more than happy to indulge me and I knew it would be more than my face that he touched, which was absolutely fine with me. Despite wanting to stay right where I was and letting our desire burn through us, I regretfully stepped back just out of range of his grasp. Truly, being so responsible sucked extra hard right now.

“I have duties to my people as well as my fealty to you. We’re re-building our home in a completely new place. My skills as a Geomancer are required for that and I know you know that,” I said as I crossed my arms over my chest, ignoring how wonderful his touch had felt on my skin and how I’d dearly love those touches to continue and become more intimate.

“I want you here, beside me,” Saraf said a look of stubbornness settling over his face. “You swore an oath to me that you would serve me however I wished. I wish for you to stay here, by my side.”

I had no idea Saraf could be so unreasonable in the face of obvious facts. I narrowed my eyes at him. Fine, it was true that I had sworn an oath to him exactly to that effect but he knew I had responsibilities to my people as well. He knew that the number of Geomancers in his service, as well as Priests and Clerics, had taken a blow when the volcano erupted on our former home. We were all stretched thin but it was us Geomancers that were most needed right now to help re-build and there’d been few enough of us before the eruption. Saraf knew all that. I had the sneaking suspicion that something else was going on behind his demand. There was something I couldn’t quite put my finger on that told me there was more to his order.

“While I’d love nothing more than to stay by your side, I am needed by my people, too, and I know you know that. What would I do, aside from settle your desire to keep me next to you, if I was to stay here? I’m not going to be content simply sitting next to you, as much as I adore your company. I need productive things to do, Saraf.”

A crafty look came into Saraf’s eyes and I was instantly wary. Dragons were known for their convoluted plans and I highly doubted Saraf was any different despite being only half dragon. I really would’ve loved to stay with him, enjoying his company and maybe a little lovemaking later just because we could, but I was needed by my people for my skills and I thought that need outweighed the contentment of staying with Saraf and being loved into exhaustion by him. The needs of my people were more important than my desires even if my dick didn’t agree with that.

“Much information about dragons has been lost in my Priesthood. Several hundred years ago, some of my Priests thought that in order to have all my attention as a god focused on my followers, the information about my dragon half should be purged from my dogma since that side of my heritage was taking up the majority of my time then. They had a decent start on destroying records before I discovered the sacrilege and put what I thought was a stop to it.

“I erred in showing mercy to some of the young Priests and letting them live. I thought allowing them to live would serve as a warning as they told others what had happened to the Priests who started down the wrong path. Instead, they took up the cause but were more circumspect about the destruction of information. I want you to fix that.”

Saraf smiled at me and there was a wealth of anticipation and delight in his expression.

“You’ll have unlimited access to my library, which is likely far more extensive than you can imagine. I give you free rein to take whatever you deem necessary to restore dragon lore to my dogma. If you cannot find something, ask me and I will tell you what I know. If I don’t know it, I will get you an audience with my father, Auxshunoriz, king of Metallic Dragons. If he doesn’t know something about dragons, then it isn’t worth knowing. If you wish to speak to other dragons or even other gods about something, I will make that happen, too. Whatever you need, whatever you want to do this for me it shall be yours.

“If you wish, you can have Prasiolite help you comb through my library, although you will need to teach him what to do at the same time that you’re working on restoring knowledge which may slow you down somewhat. I understand that and find it acceptable as Prasiolite, as well as Rhodolite, needs to be educated in a multitude of subjects. I believe you’re the right person to handle that in addition to restoring the knowledge of dragons to my faithful.”

Unlimited access to the library of a god? Possibly the library of more than one god? An audience with the king of Metallic Dragons to ask whatever I wanted? Giddiness at the very idea of all that actually made me feel light-headed for an instant. My heart beat quickly in excitement before I could tamp down the staggering idea. As much as I loved the opportunity Saraf was placing in my hands, I felt the needs of my people came before restoring lost draconic knowledge to Saraf’s worshipers. They hadn’t missed that knowledge for several hundred years by all accounts. A few more months wouldn’t impact anything in my opinion.

No, there was something else that was prompting him to give me the task of restoring knowledge that would keep me at his side for what I was sure would be a substantial amount of time. Not that I thought he doubted my abilities as a Geomancer or that he didn’t truly want the draconic information brought back into his dogma. There was simply something about the set of his jaw that hinted to me that he had other motives for keeping me beside him when he knew I’d be of better use elsewhere.

While I had little face-to-face interaction with Saraf, I’d prayed to him for years and felt a deep connection to him. After receiving his god-mark, that connection was even deeper. I simply _knew_ there was more to him wanting me by his side than he was saying. I wasn’t sure why he wouldn’t simply state whatever that reason was. I was a very reasonable, practical man and he should know that about me after all the years of listening to my prayers.

“I am greatly honoured that you have chosen me for that task, Saraf, but I can’t do it right now. The needs of my people is the greater of the two things before me. They need my skills to help make our city safe and prosperous. I’m not so full of myself to think that I am the most powerful Geomancer to ever be in your service or that I’m indispensible to my people. However, I am one of the strongest of the ones left right now though and at this stage in our re-settlement, we need the strongest Geomancers working to shape our new home to be the way we need it to be.”

Saraf snorted softly. “Edenlei, you are now the strongest Geomancer I’ve ever had or will have. You have not only a drop of my power as a god but a spark of my draconic magic fused to your soul. There are very few non-god creatures in this world or various planes of existence for that matter that will be able to stand toe-to-toe with you on a mystical level and come out on the winning end once you realize the breadth of the power you now have. But the key part of that sentence is realize the breadth of the power you now have. Until you get a grasp on how much power you have, you’ll be dangerous.

“You’re intelligent and quick to catch on, but this increase in power is going to be a bit of a steep learning curve for you at first. I’m sure you won’t mean to, but I can see you using far more power than is necessary to do things because you’ll still be thinking of how much or little you used before to accomplish what you needed to and overestimating what you now need to accomplish the same thing. I want you next to me so I can help you learn to work with your new power levels and control any accidental overuse. I also want you close so I can drag you into a darkened alcove for a quick hand job or better still, a quick fuck whenever the mood strikes us. Above all else, I want you safe and there is no place safer than here at my side.”

I stared at Saraf with wide eyes. He’d said that he would fuse a drop of his power to me as part of the process of giving me his god-mark but I hadn’t thought that would mean I’d get a jump in my power. I didn’t care about that actually. For me, the god-mark was an exceptionally permanent fusing band and I was more than happy with it being just that and nothing more. To find out it was more was exciting.

“You are now completely immune to all natural fires and most mystical ones as well because I am God of Primal Flame. You’ll likely find it beyond easy to command flames as well. Mystical fire, like what a dragon breathes, is a special kind of fire and can still hurt you. It won’t kill you, but it will be rather painful and wholly unpleasant should you find yourself in the position of getting blasted by dragon fire. All the elements will bend easier to your will because of the spark of my power running through you and you’ll need to use a far more delicate touch, especially when you’re simply looking for the currents and eddies of whatever element you need to manipulate. Try it now. Find the lines of lava under the floor.”

Keeping what Saraf just said in mind about needing to use a lighter touch than I normally would, I turned and faced the room before I sent out roughly half of what I normally would of questing magic looking for the lava flows under our feet. The immense rush of raw power from the lava under my feet that I’d searched for sent me stumbling backwards into Saraf with a gasp. His arms came around me quickly and held me snugly to his chest, my ass settling perfectly in his lap. I watched with a mix of horror and awe as thin jets of lava burst through the joints between the flagstones of the floor, unintentionally called forth by me.

A few droplets of lava landed on the bare skin of my arm and I shrieked like a small, frightened child while frantically shaking my arm, my heart feeling like it was trying to beat its way out of my chest in fear at being severely burned. I understood what Saraf said about being immune to fire, but instinct was hard to override so quickly and lava was not the same as the flame from a candle or cooking fire. Saraf made soothing sounds and held me tight. The lava dripped off my arm as if it was nothing more than pleasantly hot water leaving not so much as red mark in its wake. The tiny bit of lava fell to my pants leg and the fabric immediately caught fire, scaring me again as the fire grew quickly, devouring the fabric.

“Control it, Edenlei. This is beyond easy for you,” Saraf said in a soft voice in my ear. “You’ve handled fire many times before. There is no difference now except its much easier for you and it can’t hurt you.”

I automatically grabbed the heart of the flame with my magic expecting it to do what fire normally did; wriggle and twist, slip and slide in an effort to go its own way and escape my control. Instead I almost snuffed it out entirely leaving only a tiny spark spitting weakly, struggling to stay alive. I quickly eased the strength of my grip until it felt like I was barely holding on to it and merely sheltering it in the cup of my hand. The spark grew with a little encouragement and settled into my palm like a content, well-fed kitten, all warm and soft and waiting to be petted into sleep.

“See? You need very little magic to control it. So little that you’ll almost need to re-learn how to manipulate the elements. You’re very talented and you apply yourself whole-heartedly to your studies so I don’t think it’ll take you very long. But you do need to learn again how much magic to use to accomplish what you want,” Saraf said into my ear, his voice low and pleased.

“If I can do this with fire or any of the other elements then you have to see how important it is for me to go help my people. I could help them immeasurably. I understand that I’ll need to figure out how much power to use in any given situation so I don’t accidently cause a disaster, but if you come with me this could work out perfectly for both of us in seeing our goals achieved,” I said excitement colouring my words.

I let the fire slide from my hand, withdrawing my power from it. The flames died and a small shower of sparks fell to the floor at our feet. I twisted in Saraf’s arms as an idea took hold in my head. He wanted to add back what had been lost in his dogma and show his followers that he had not forsaken them as their god. I needed practice to work effectively with the new level of power I had and I needed someone able to control things for me should I let something get out of hand. Safar wanted me beside him and I wanted to be there but had duties I really felt I couldn’t set aside. What I had in mind was the perfect solution for both of us.

“Come with me. I can help my people and learn the extent of my powers while you can act as a safeguard against things running out of my control. Your followers will see you in the flesh, walking among them, helping them re-build, and any doubts they had about whether or not you are still invested in them will disappear. We can add to the scrolls and books, too, and the words will be far more powerful if they’re delivered by our god himself. We get to spend time together, working together as a team, building your faith back to what it should be. It’s the perfect solution.”

Saraf’s expression softened and he kissed me lightly on the lips. “You make a compelling argument, Geomancer Edenlei. There is one more thing to consider and you might change your mind about being around your people once you hear it.”

I had no idea what he was talking about. What more could he tell me that would change my mind? I waited for him to continue.

“The twins sire was being sought by a necromancer that wants a spell the dragon created. Gemmed dragons are gifted at spell creation and it’s likely what caught their mother’s eye initially as Mercury dragons are adept casters of complex spells and they love to learn new spells. The spell, if this necromancer was to get hold of it, would be incredibly dangerous for everyone. This necromancer wants power and is perfectly willing to use anything or anyone to get it.

“He’s already masqueraded once as me and he now knows that I’m aware of him and looking for him. I will kill him when I find him. I don’t believe he can truly hurt me, but I’m still going to be extraordinarily careful in my hunt. Not being cautious would just be stupid. He’s been animating dead dragons and draining the power and life from those in his service to fuel his goal. If he were to somehow find out what you are to me and got his hands on you, the earth would tremble with my fury but I’d be hesitant to act for fear of what he might do to you. He probably doesn’t have the means to kill you but he could hurt you enough to make you wish you were dead. You are immortal now but you can certainly feel pain. I can’t take the risk of you being hurt when it’s so easy for me to prevent that. I also don’t think you’d want to have your people caught in the cross-fire if this necromancer were to show up in your city looking to confront me or perhaps kidnap you.”

My eyes were wide. This necromancer had to be a very serious problem if Saraf was worried about him. I had no idea it was even possible to raise a dead dragon to do your bidding. That was a level of bad that I could barely wrap my head around. Normally, I was of the opinion that I could take care of myself in most situations. However, if Saraf was urging caution, then it was probably a very good idea that I go forward with that was well. Add to that the apparently massive jump in my power and the demonstration of how little control I had over it now, I could be a disaster in the making especially if there were those around me that I didn’t want to see hurt. Damn.

“Do you know who this necromancer is? Or maybe more importantly, where he is?” I asked.

“Unfortunately, no. I tried tracing his magic back to him but he realized who I was and withdrew his magic before I could follow it. One thing for certain is that he can’t enter my seat of power, which is why you’ll be utterly safe here until I can handle the problem of this necromancer. Not even the Great-Father can enter my realm without a hell of a lot of effort if I don’t want him to and there’s no way any mortal could ever hope to have even a fraction of the power of the God of Gods.”

Well that was comforting to know even if it didn’t really help with the situation at the moment. I could wait a little to help my people if it meant they wouldn’t get drawn into a dangerous situation like a god on a deadly hunt for an overpowered necromancer and the confrontation between the two when they finally did meet. I was a reasonable man and saw the problems that could happen if this necromancer were to try anything with me.

“How long do you think it’ll take you to find him?”

“I don’t know. He’s cagey and smart and because he knows I’m aware of him and what he’s done, he’ll likely hole up somewhere for a while to plot his next move,” Saraf said with a little sigh.

“A while? How long a while? Days? Weeks?”

“No idea. Months? A year? Longer? I honestly can’t say, Edenlei. It’s been a very, very long time since a necromancer was able to raise a dragon. Despite him accidently tipping his hand and making me aware of him and what he’s been doing, I highly doubt he’ll act rashly. He couldn’t have gained as much power as he has by not planning things out carefully. I’m certain I was never to meet Dzaghig and hear what he’d been through in order to keep the spell he created from the necromancer. I’m sure the necromancer will be planning a new course and unless I get lucky, I’ll likely need to wait for him to make his next move. Obviously, even with the best spells and magic, he can’t outwait me, but I don’t want to drag this out either.”

“I can’t sit on my hands for months or even longer, Saraf. I can’t abandon my people like that and I’m sure you know that, too. The only reasonable solution is for you to be with me and for both of us to be vigilant. I know about this necromancer now so I’ll be watching for him. We’ll be careful. I have utter faith in you to protect me and keep me safe.”

Saraf sighed again and kissed my cheek and I knew I’d won.

“Fine. But you’re to be on your guard when you’re not here and the second you see anything you think might be suspicious, you’re to tell me or better yet, call up some flame and walk through them to come home where it’s safe.”

I turned my head to stare at Saraf. “I can do that? Use fire to transport myself from one place to another? Really? You’re not teasing me are you? Fanji loves to tease me. He says I look cute when I get all flustered.”

Saraf chuckled. “There’s so much more you can do now, my pearl. It’s very simple to use flame to move from place to place. I’ll show you and it shouldn’t take more than a few minutes for you to understand what to do. As regrettable as I think it is, you’re likely going to want to put on some pants first before you go traipsing off using flames as portals.”

I looked down and heat scorched over my cheeks. I’d gotten sidetracked ridiculously easily with the demonstration of the shocking amount of power I now had and then the revelation of the necromancer that Saraf was hunting. I’d been sitting in Saraf’s lap with one leg of my pants burned away and my entire crotch exposed to whomever might happen to wander into the throne room. Sitting in Saraf’s lap and feeling his length slowly firm against my ass had made my cock start to rise as well. I’d have been utterly mortified if anybody had come into the throne room seeking an audience with Saraf and seen me so exposed and aroused.

“You, my love, are adorable when you blush and delectable when naked. Hmmm, I might need to make it a godly command that you’re to be naked whenever we’re in our chambers so I can enjoy the sight of you to the fullest extent.”

My blushed burned hotter at Saraf’s words and the almost naughty idea of being constantly naked for his pleasure. It thrilled me to the very tips of my toes that he found me so desirable. Saraf waved his hand and I suddenly had new pants of an extremely fine quality covering me as if they’d been made for me. I’d never had anything so soft, elegant and perfectly fitting in my entire life. I ran my fingers over the fabric, a soft sound of approval coming from my throat at the lovely texture and intricate pattern.

“Before I teach you how to create flame portals, I’ll show you a very basic spell that will keep you from constantly burning your clothes off, as amusing and arousing as I’m sure I’d find your surprise nudity.”

I lightly slapped at Saraf’s arm, earning a soft grunt from him. He lifted me from his lap set me on my feet in front of him before rising. He brushed aside my hair and kissed the nape of my neck, his hands drifting down to lightly press against my still hard cock. I barely resisted the urge to press my hips into his hand. Now was not the time to get frisky as much as certain parts of me thought so. Saraf chuckled, kissed my neck again and moved to stand in front of me.

“First things first. You are immune to fire. Your clothes and whatever you may be holding is generally not. Some things that don’t immediately burn when they come into contact with fire can still be problematic, like metal items. They will heat up and either be uncomfortable to hold or could burn you depending on how long they’re in contact with the fire. You’ll heal much quicker should you get injured but obviously not getting injured in the first place is more desirable than healing quickly.

“As my power settles through you, you’ll gain a very small field of immunity that will radiate out from your body by about the width of two fingers. That will typically be enough to protect most articles of clothing but it takes minimal magic to protect your clothes or items you’re carrying. My understanding of this field, from what I’ve been told, is that it can take a few days or several weeks to fully manifest depending on the individual. Given that you’re one of my Geomancers and already magically inclined, I’m leaning heavily on you gaining the field in a few days.”

Saraf held out his hand and a small towel appeared, draping itself over his palm. I thought that was amazing and damn handy and wondered if he could teach me to materialize things as well.

“This resistance to fire spell I’m going to teach you is dragon magic. Usually, it would take months if not years to learn to effectively cast something dragon created, even for a simple spell like this, for one not a dragon. But you now have the benefit of dragon magic running through you combined with your natural aptitude for magic. I’m sure you’ll grasp this in no time although you likely will need to practice it to become proficient.

“Dragon magic is also highly personal. A dragon can teach a spell to another dragon and once that spell is mastered, the dragon that learned it will subtly change it to become his own. It makes countering spells between dragons more challenging, which is a something dragons enjoy and we even have contests for that.”

Saraf moved his hand over the towel, his fingers moving in a short pattern that seemed familiar to me while he spoke a few words in what sounded like a cross between a growl and a roar. A faint red shimmer settled over the towel for a second or two before vanishing. He conjured fire in his free hand and dangled the end of the towel over it. Even though I knew it wouldn’t burn it was still very cool to see the fire do absolutely nothing to the fabric. It wasn’t even singed or had a single speck of soot on it.

“The spell will stay active until you or someone else dismisses it. A low level spell like this is easy to dismiss by most anyone regardless of how personal you make the spell. Watch how I move my fingers. Despite this being a low level spell you still need to be precise or the spell will fail. Dragon magic is exacting. This spell is also close to what you use when you need to handle fire as I am the one that gave your people that although that one isn’t quite dragon magic.”

I nodded as I watched him move his fingers. It was similar to the finger casting of a fire handling spell we used when we needed to actually have fire touching our skin as opposed to controlling where a fire burned or how hot it burned. The fire handling spell was also time sensitive, lasting no more than ten minutes at a time where the spell Saraf was showing me was indefinite.

I watched Saraf repeat the pattern several times before trying it myself. He stopped me only two moves into my first casting attempt to correct the position of my fingers in what seemed to me to be an infinitesimal amount. There were only five motions but it took me nearly fifteen minutes to get them right and I wasn’t one hundred percent confident I could do it again without a mistake. Practice was definitely going to be in order.

“The words will be a little harder at first than the finger casting since you don’t speak Dragon. Listen close. Eventually, you won’t need to say the words out loud, but whether you speak out loud or say them in your head, you need to be just as precise as with the finger casting. You’ll also need to have very clear intent when you speak the words of what you want to happen. Force of will plays a large role in dragon magic.”

Saraf had me repeat the words he spoke over and over until he was satisfied. While I said the words, he had me finger cast at the same time and corrected me on both parts. When he thought I had it, he conjured another towel and gave it to me to try and cast the spell. I took a deep breath and finger cast the spell while speaking the words and willing the spell to take hold. I was highly disappointed and felt like I’d failed not only the spell casting but Saraf himself when no red shimmer covered the towel like it had for Saraf. While it was my first real try at dragon magic I didn’t need to have much experience under my belt to know I’d failed.

“It didn’t work. What did I get wrong?” I asked as I mentally replayed what I did and said to cast the spell.

“Your movements and words were fine. You have a charming accent to your Dragon by the way, but that wouldn’t keep the spell from taking. The only thing I can’t show you is how to apply your will to make the spell take hold. That is something you’ll need to figure out on your own. You need to passionately want the end result you’re striving for and there has to be no doubt in your mind that what you want is what you’ll get. There is no room for doubt. To doubt is to fail. I have faith that you’ll do this and so much more, Edenlei,” Saraf said his voice filled with confidence.

Saraf believed I could do this. He believed in me. He wouldn’t tell me something simply to boost my ego. I mentally squared my shoulders. Saraf said I needed to want the spell to succeed passionately. There was no room for doubt on whether or not I’d succeed. The spell would happen because I wanted it to happen and I refused to be denied something as small as this. I had the power of a god and a dragon flowing through me and by all the gods, the spell would work.

My fingers moved in the pattern and I spoke the words. I imagined my will to create the spell being as solid, heavy and immovable as granite. My will would be done because there was no other option. I gasped as a searingly bright red light flared over the towel before it slid from my hand to the floor. My knees buckled and pain barrelled into my head as I started to fall. Saraf caught me in his arms before I hit the floor.

“Edenlei?” Worry was in his voice along with threads of pride.

“Owww, fuck. It feels like my head is going to explode. I did it though, didn’t I?” I asked as I looked around for the towel but couldn’t seem to see it anywhere.

“Overdid it, but yes, you stuck the spell more or less. You used a little too much will power. I wasn’t expecting you to throw any Geomancing into the spell either.”

“More or less? What does that mean? And what Geomancing? I didn’t use any Geomancer magic. It wouldn’t have been appropriate to do what I wanted the spell to do. Where’s the towel?”

“See that dark mark on the floor?” At my nod he continued. “That is the towel. You did get the spell to work for a few seconds but you used far too much power and disintegrated the towel. But that’s what practice is about. Learning how to accomplish what you want or need to happen.”

I stared at the mark on the floor, a giddy rush coursing through me. While it was true that I’d destroyed the towel by throwing too much power at it, Saraf said I had gotten the spell to work before the towel was destroyed. I was a little awed that I’d utterly destroyed something simply by putting too much power into a spell. I was also more aware than ever that I’d need to practice like a madman to make sure that I didn’t accidently do something of that level to a living creature. A little smirk came and went quickly on my lips when I thought of how it looked like I was going to be going through basic spell casting all over again. Good thing I liked to learn.

“I think you should keep your Geomancer abilities out of any Dragon spells for the time being until you learn your new power levels. It’s also not wise or recommended to start changing a dragon spell before you’ve mastered it. I don’t know of any spells that combine dragon magic and Geomancy but if what you just did is any indication, there’s the potential for some exceptionally powerful and destructive magic to be created. We can explore that together at a later date. You did well, my pearl,” Saraf said as he kissed me on the forehead.

The throbbing pain in my head melted away at the touch of his lips and I didn’t doubt for a second that he’d done something to take the pain away. That was damn handy and I’d have to see about him teaching me that at some point. Before I got too comfortable in Saraf’s arms and didn’t want to move, I forced myself to stand.

“I’ll practice the spell but for the time being, could you please ward my clothes for me? The last thing I want to do is step out of flames in my city and have what I’m wearing ignite, leaving me naked in front of whomever happens to be there. That would be embarrassing as hell.”

“Seeing you naked is for my eyes only now. We’ll practice that spell as well as a few others and as long as there’s someone else in the room, you’ll always be fully clothed. However, I make no promises about keeping you clothed when we’re alone.”

“I’m utterly fine with that,” I said with a grin. “Shall we go now? We did leave my room in a bit of a rush last night and some people are going to wonder where I’ve gone since I didn’t show up for morning prayers and I’ve never missed a morning. The twins were also quite popular in the dining hall and people are undoubtedly wondering where they are as they’d never miss a meal on purpose. Fanji is probably worried sick about me and the twins.”

“Are you sure you don’t want to stay here? We could go back to bed....” Saraf trailed off, heady sexual promise in his eyes.

“Duty to my people and your faithful first. After that, I’m sure I’ll be up for whatever with you.”

Saraf laughed and kissed me passionately. _“I’ll make sure you’re up for all manner of things, my pearl.”_

_“I’m rather fond of you being the one up for activities between us,”_ I said to Saraf directly, testing out the new mental link we shared.

Saraf laughed, drew me tight to his body and kissed me with a wealth of love and passion. His hard cock pressed against mine and I adored the feel of his hand cupping my ass and holding me firmly against him. Right at that very moment I hated my responsible nature and wished that it wouldn’t bother me so much to say to hell with everything and go ahead and take advantage of the wonderful time I could have with Saraf if I said yes.

Startled gasps sounded all around us. I drew back from Saraf’s kiss and opened my eyes. I sucked in a surprised breath at what I saw. We were standing in the dining hall of Saraf’s new temple and it was filled with his faithful servants having what appeared to be lunch. I looked at Saraf in confusion. There’d been zero sensation of movement as Saraf kissed the daylight out of me. Amusement was in his eyes and he quickly kissed me again.

_“Just making sure that everyone knows you are mine in the most effective way I could aside from mating openly with you, which I know you wouldn’t go for.”_

_“I most certainly would not,” _I said, affront in my voice.

_“Tell no one that you are my pearl, Edenlei. I have no intention of hiding that you are mine but I don’t want it getting out just how deeply loved and important you are to me until the problem with the necromancer is dealt with. I don’t believe in borrowing trouble. But by all means, do tell anyone who asks that you are mine and only mine.”_

I had no problem with that line of thought. The necromancer worried Saraf and if something worried a god, it was a damn good bet that others should be very worried, too.

“Edenlei?”

I turned my head to see Fanji slowly approaching us, his expression bouncing between awe, worry and relief. I smiled at him.

“Lord Saraf has decided to grace us with his presence for a while. He would like His followers to know that He has never forsaken them and will be assuming a more present role with His faithful. I, like all of you, have pledged myself to Lord Saraf. However, in asking for Him to save us from the destruction of our former home, I re-dedicated myself to His service. I am completely His in all things. I’m sure everybody has questions and I know Lord Saraf will be more than willing to entertain those questions a little later. However, neither one of us has eaten today and a little lunch would not be amiss.”

Saraf chuckled softly his hand squeezing my ass gently. _“Well said, Edenlei. You are man of many talents.”_

Pride spread through me in a warm rush at Saraf’s words. He released me, took my hand in his and led me to the closest table which was conveniently mostly empty. Acolytes seemed frozen in awe as they watched Saraf seat himself. Priests leapt from their seats at the surrounding tables and scrambled to approach Saraf. I had to cover my snicker with a cough when several of the older Priests pushed the younger Priests aside to beat them to Saraf’s side and began asking what he wanted. I think I was about to have the most entertaining meal of my life.


	12. Chapter 12

** Chapter 12 **

~Saraf~

To be surrounded by my faithful was a welcome sensation and one I’d neglected indulging in for quite some time. I regretted doing that now and I was a big enough individual to admit that having some of my faithful go off on tangents when it probably had appeared that I’d forsaken them was entirely my fault. That wouldn’t happen again though. Edenlei would warn me if he thought I was getting lax.

Seeing him in action as one of my Chosen was a pleasure and very different from simply hearing his prayers. He was a capable individual on several levels and if his abilities as a Geomancer hadn’t manifested, I was absolutely certain he would’ve become a high-ranking Priest at a young age. I don’t think he would’ve become my Rhyolite, the head Priest of the temple, though. Not because he lacked faith or spiritual power. He had more than enough of that even before I gave him my god-mark. Edenlei simply wasn’t interested in the other form of power that the Rhyolite held; power over the people who worshipped me. He didn’t seem to have much patience for the politics of the position either. Some would’ve even called him painfully blunt. I liked the direct approach he had to things. You’d always know where you stood with him and if you were unsure, he’d quickly to set you straight.

Fanji, on the other hand, was showing quite a bit of promise for the workings of playing politics. He wasn’t the strongest of my Priests, only slightly above average in power, and he seemed to understand that he never would be the strongest no matter how much effort he dedicated to the task. He was quite skilled though with the power he did have making it seem as if he had more than he did. He was talented with words, too, guiding conversations without seeming to be doing so. Aside from him being a close friend to Edenlei, he bore watching and possibly subtle prodding to ascend higher in the Priesthood. I appreciated the effort my Chosen made to be the best that they could be in service to me.

Every mortal was born with a certain threshold of personal power. Sometimes that power was so small as to be almost undetectable. Other times, the person could seem to be a god themselves with the power they’d been born with. Unless an individual was willing and capable of augmenting their power by taking more from others, which was considered impiety at the very least, or using objects of power to boost their level, they’d never be able to surpass a certain point. A person could become highly skilled in wielding their power, but unless a god intervened, they’d never be able to push beyond what they’d been born with. Fanji knew his limits and pushed himself hard to take advantage of every drop of power he had. I approved of the dedication and determination he showed. There was no lust for more power that I could detect in him. I approved of that, too, and felt it made him even more suitable as one of my higher Priests. I didn’t doubt that in time he’d become a well-respected Elder Priest.

Edenlei insisted that Fanji sit with us, much to the annoyance and dismay of some of my Elder Priests. Fanji initially declined saying that he had a seat with Damia, one of my Clerics, and as much of an honour sitting with me would be, he couldn’t possibly abandon Damia, the woman soon to be his wife, even for me. He was sincere in saying that, too, and wasn’t simply mouthing what he thought I’d want to hear. I’d had enough false platitudes thrown at me to gain my favour over the millennia to know when I was being feed a line of shit.

I valued loyalty and honour and Fanji had a nice solid core of both. Edenlei waved off Fanji’s words and told him to bring her over, too. One of my Elder Priests actually started to sputter a protest at the idea of Damia, a very recently anointed Cleric, joining her god for lunch and Edenlei speaking for me when he was only a Geomancer. I didn’t quite understand what his being a Geomancer had to do with anything or why the Elder Priest made it sound like Edenlei was a lesser servant of mine because of that.

Edenlei started to frown and open his mouth when Fanji gave him a subtle hand signal to stay quiet. Or at least that’s what I assumed the hand motion was about when Edenlei snapped his mouth shut and looked at Fanji expectantly. Fanji reiterated what Edenlei said about being mine and how since he was so very obviously mine and had my favour, unless I directly contradicted Edenlei’s words, it was probably safe to assume I was fine with what he said and quite possibly had directed Edenlei to say what he did. It was highly amusing to see the Elder Priests realize that Fanji was likely right and that they might’ve just insulted their god by contradicting His word being spoken from someone who was confirmed as the vessel of said god. The Elder Priest paled and babbled an apology.

We’d only been in the room five minutes and I was already vastly more amused than I had been in far too long.

I was actually glad that Edenlei invited Fanji and Damia as well as some of the Acolytes to lunch with us. They were certainly far more entertaining than the Elder Priests who seemed to think that I was against lively conversation and a little levity. There were times when seriousness was very appropriate and even required but for them to try and squash even the light attempts at humour and questions I thought were perfectly valid to ask of one’s god... I really had work to do among my servants to bring them back into line of what I expected my dogma to be.

I was not a rigid, joyless god. Fire was, by its very nature, capricious. Since I was the God of Primal Flame, I certainly had that within me although it was somewhat tempered by my draconic heritage. The dragon in me ensured that I’d have endless fascination with the world and could take pleasure in the simplest of things because of that simplicity and elegance of design. The very idea that my faithful believed me to be an unbending, dour god was distasteful to say the least and I really wasn’t sure how that line of belief had come into being.

The Elder Priests asked for a meeting with me after lunch, which I granted as there was work I wanted done within the ranks of my Chosen. One Elder Priest was actually stupid enough to try to bar Edenlei from the meeting room, saying the meeting was for the Elder Priests only. This despite us appearing before all my Chosen, locked in a passionate kiss, my holding Edenlei’s hand through part of the lunch, feeding him choice bits of food from my plate and the marks that I’d put on him. I wasn’t sure if the Elder Priest was mentally stunted or far too full of himself and his perceived position among my Chosen. Or perhaps it was some horrible combination of the two. Edenlei started to turn away but I’d taken his hand, kissed the god–mark and gently pulled him into the room with me.

Let the pompous Priest try to gainsay his God’s wishes and see what happens to his ignorant ass. I hadn’t needed to smite anyone, Brunthe aside, in a very long time. Flexing a little godly muscle could be just the opportunity to make my servants realize things were about to change in a very big way for my Chosen and that I’d no longer be seen as an absentee god.

_“Saraf, let it go. Only the Elder Priests are allowed in-chambers to discuss your faith and the direction it takes,”_ Edenlei said with a light squeeze to my fingers. _“To include me, a Geomancer, in these discussions is something that’s never been done before.”_

I looked at Edenlei in surprise, a small frown wrinkling my brow. _“Since when? There are to be leaders from each of my Chosen disciplines in on these meetings. Priests, Clerics and Geomancers all play equally important roles in my dogma. Do the Elder Geomancers and Elder Clerics have separate meetings even for the things that affect my faith as a whole? That’s unbelievably inefficient. No wonder things have gotten confused in my dogma.”_

_“It’s always been this way. Elder Clerics or Elder Geomancers don’t exist. We’re not as important as the Priests in leading the faithful. Geomancers shape our world to give us a sheltered place to live and to defend our people if necessary. Clerics tend to the sick and wounded and fight for us when necessary. The Priests spread your word and help the people feel the warmth of your love for us and guide us in the path you’ve shown us. They are the ones who hold the most import in your faith. Us and the Clerics have only support roles. The Priests command us to do what you bid and we report to them.”_

I swore lowly and felt my temper start to rise at the way my dogma had been subverted. This was not to be tolerated. It was expressly contrary to how I’d set up the three disciplines in the first place. I was ashamed that my inattention to my faithful had brought my faith to the shambles it was now in. I was also very angry with myself as none of this division within my ranks and weakening of the other branches would’ve happened if I’d been more present as a god. I’d been far too complacent, hearing only the prayers of my followers and answering those I felt worthy without monitoring what my servants had been doing. I’d thought the temple cleaning I’d done several centuries ago had squashed the wild tangent some of my servants decided my faith was to follow but I’d apparently thought wrong. It was not an error I’d repeat.

Not all of the blame was on me though. This sort of erasure of responsibility could only have come from high up inside the ranks and I didn’t doubt it was tied to my leniency of a few centuries ago. Wu-Tyr had warned me at the time that my mercy in that situation would come back and bite me on the ass. I should’ve listened to him then. However, I was a god and we had staggering egos that often marched hand-in-hand with arrogance because of that godhood. Having dragon mixed in my heritage probably didn’t help tone down the ego or the arrogance either. Possibly my mixed heritage made the combination of ego and arrogance slightly worse than it was in other gods.

I scanned the room and noted who was present and who was not. I wasn’t surprised to find that the ones I’d spared so long ago that I knew still lived weren’t in the room now even though they were Elder Priests. When I thought about it, they hadn’t been among the Priests clamouring to sit at the table with me either. Drawing the attention of their god when they were most likely trying to stay out of my direct line of sight wouldn’t happen if they were anywhere near me.

A flick of my fingers had the Priests in question appear before me. I didn’t need to make the gesture but the theatrics of it when all eyes were upon me appealed to my dragon side. The Priests were quite old and their time left alive, my anger aside, was not long. I could’ve incinerated them immediately but I wanted to know just how far the corruption of my faith had spread and why. I wouldn’t know that unless I questioned them first. I also wanted to set a more solid example of what angering me caused as obviously the previous expression of my ire hadn’t made quite the impression I’d thought it did.

“Did my mercy centuries ago mean nothing to you? Did you truly believe that I wouldn’t eventually notice what you continued to do and punish you for it? Did you think I would let what you’ve done stand?” I asked in a voice that held more than a little draconic growl.

_“Saraf? What’s wrong?”_ Edenlei asked, threads of worry in his mental voice.

_“Something I should’ve noticed long ago. There is about to be some godly wrath falling on the heads of my wayward Priests. I should’ve done this centuries ago when Wu-Tyr told me I was too lenient. He warned me that I’d regret showing mercy where none was warranted and he was right.”_

Edenlei slipped his hand free of mine and for the briefest of moments I wondered if he was going to try to do something to stop me from what needed to be done. Edenlei cared deeply about his people, a trait I adored. That devotion couldn’t be allowed to stand in the way of what must happen though. I truly hoped he wouldn’t do anything that would give cause to my disciplining him for doing what he thought was right in protecting his people. He moved a step to the side of me and his posture became submissive.

_“It is as you will it, Lord Saraf. I am your humble servant. Use me as you see fit,”_ he said bowing his head as he clasped his hands in front of him.

I turned to face him and tipped his face up to look at me. There was absolute faith and love in his eyes. He was giving me everything he’d sworn to as one of my Geomancers; utter devotion to my Will as his god. He’d likely have questions later that he’d want answers to and we might even argue about the course of action I was about to take, but right now he was ready to carry out whatever I demanded of him as my Geomancer because he’d sworn his faith to me. I kissed him softly on the lips. He was amazing and truly my pearl of immeasurable price.

_“You enchant me more every second you’re by my side, my wondrous pearl. I love you beyond all reason, Geomancer Edenlei.”_

Pink dusted Edenlei’s cheeks when I pulled back from the kiss. _“I love you with my entire being, Lord Saraf. You are my god and I give you my devotion as your Geomancer to my last breath. I also love you from the depths of my soul as my lover, Saraf, and I always will.”_

The almost irresistible urge to pull Edenlei into my arms and never let him go filled me. I knew how he felt but it was absolutely wondrous to hear him say what he did. In that instant, I finally understood the looks my father would give my mother and they way she’d gaze back at him. What I shared with Edenlei was something more powerful than my combined godhood and heritage as a Platinum dragon. I didn’t doubt for a second that what we shared was even more powerful than the Great-Father and All-Mother’s powers combined.

I reluctantly released Edenlei from my gentle hold and took a seat on a throne fashioned out of a single piece of rainbow obsidian. That the throne was mine was not in question. All my temples were required to have a throne of some sort should I decide to visit among my Chosen. The throne itself was extremely plain and simple with straight, clean lines and no carvings what-so-ever. It was wildly different from virtually every other throne I had in my temples but I was struck with the elegant, understated beauty of it. I was also more than a little surprised at how the seat seemed to be an utterly perfect fit for my ass, making the hard stone an actually comfortable seat.

_“Is it okay? The throne I mean,”_ Edenlei said with a hint of nerves in his voice.

I was about to answer him that it was fine but stopped at his slightly anxious expression. I stared at him for a moment before an intuitive leap of logic hit me. I smiled at him and reached for his hand, bringing it to my mouth and kissing the god-mark I’d given him.

_“You’ll never cease to amaze me will you, My Pearl? Your offerings to me are always the absolute best. It’s perfect. You’re perfect.”_

Happiness flooded Edenlei’s face. _“I was worried you wouldn’t like it because it’s not fancy and is so very plain. But the Elder Priests insisted that I be the one to create your new throne for the new temple since you’d shown me such favour. I’m not good with making fancy things but things like simple furniture or walls from stone or wood, that I can do. The Elder Priests didn’t like my choice of rainbow obsidian but they also didn’t understand the complexity of working the piece without shattering it or leaving edges that could slice a person to the bone in an instant. I’m thrilled that you like it.”_

_“It is truly a work of art and I believe it shows your devotion and love for me in making something so exquisite for me. Adding anything further to the throne would be like gilding the sun. The colour and banding of the obsidian itself is more than enough decoration,”_ I said kissing his hand once more before turning my attention to the gathered Priests before me.

I motioned a Priest forward and demanded a chair be brought for Edenlei to sit beside me before I turned my gaze on the Elder Priests in front of me. One was visibly shaking and another was as pale as a ghost with nervous sweat dotting her forehead and trickling down the side of her face. They both kept their heads bowed. The third stared at me briefly, defiance with a hint of fear in his eyes, before he bowed his head. Judging by their reactions to suddenly appearing before me, they most certainly knew why they were there and likely understood that their lives were now measured in minutes. I highly doubted any of them believed they’d be leaving the room alive once our conversation was done. If they did harbour any shred of hope that they’d be allowed to live after our chat, then they were delusional.

“Explain yourselves and what you’ve done to subvert my faith into something of your making,” I demanded. “Do not even attempt to play dumb or you’ll make what little patience I have for you vanish like smoke in the wind.”

“We did what we knew was best,” said Keahi, the one with defiance in his eyes. “What we knew you intended for your faithful but that had been subverted.”

“What _you_ knew was best? What _you_ knew I intended? You know nothing about what _I_ intended for my faith. I’m beyond displeased with the direction you’ve forced my faith. Geomancer Edenlei tells me that there are no Elder Geomancers or Elder Clerics. This is expressly contrary to how I set out my dogma. You know this as you were all servants of mine, albeit very young, centuries ago when I last needed to intervene in the course my faith was being taken. Are you telling me that you believe you know best how my faith is to be organized? Better than I know? Consider your answer carefully.”

“We needed to draw you back to us. We needed to feel the warmth of your love and presence again. We’d prayed and prayed and prayed to you for months to return to us after the holy flame burned to ash the ones you deemed unfit but you didn’t return to guide us. We were forsaken by you. We came to understand that we were being punished for not following the ancient texts as we were supposed to and had let the Clerics and Geomancers take positions they weren’t entitled to. We didn’t expect your forgiveness to take so long but time undoubtedly moves differently for a god,” said Delshad, the Priest who was trembling.

There was a grain of truth to what Delshad said with regards to the passage of time. Centuries could go by without much notice for a god. Time stretched forever for us. Decades or even centuries could disappear in the blink of a celestial eye. However, I had no idea what ancient text he was talking about. The three disciplines of my faith were meant to compliment and support each other. No one branch was more important than any other.

“I don’t think it was our actions to correct past errors of His faith that brought Lord Saraf back to us. It was him,” said Vanida, the female Priest, as she pointed at Edenlei and gave him a shrewd look.

Keahi gave Edenlei a narrow-eyed, dismissive stare that I didn’t like. “Don’t be silly, Elder Priest Vanida. Why would Lord Saraf come back to us for him? He’s nothing special. He’s not even a Priest. There are so many more of the Chosen that are much more pleasing to the eye than Geomancer Edenlei and entirely more suitable to share the bed of Lord Saraf. There’s an even greater number of worshipers who are not Chosen that are befitting of a god. Geomancer Edenlei is strong, yes, but there are others more powerful and likely more experienced. I’ve spoken with him on occasion and while knowledgeable, he’s not the most eloquent speaker and had to be prodded into talking. He’s devout, yes, but any of the Chosen are and he’s only a Geomancer. How could one such as him catch the eye of a god?”

How dare Keahi speak that way about my pearl? Only Edenlei’s soft but firm voice in my head telling me Keahi’s words meant nothing and to rein in my anger kept me from immediately turning Keahi into a pile of greasy ash.

“It is not for us to question the Will of Lord Saraf. Even I don’t understand why he is drawn to me. I am, as you pointed out, not a stunning beauty or an eloquent speaker and I take no offence at what is the truth although good manners state that it’s quite rude and insensitive to say so in front of the person you’re talking about.

“Obviously I have other qualities that Lord Saraf finds pleasing and he’s certainly under no obligation to share what those qualities are with anyone, myself included. I’m honoured that he has graced me with his attention and I am doing my very best to please him in all things,” Edenlei said in a calm, even voice that was perfect for one of my Chosen speaking to someone in my faith that held a higher position than him.

Not that Edenlei was in a lower position than Keahi or any of my other Chosen. There was no one held higher in my faith than Edenlei. He simply didn’t realize that yet. I’d have to mention it to him later. I wouldn’t set him up as my Rhyolite, the highest of holy positions in my dogma. Not because I didn’t think he was capable because I was certain he could be if he put the effort into the position. No, I wouldn’t make him the highest of my Chosen because I was selfish. Him having that position would keep him out of my arms fulfilling his duties to my worshippers and guiding my Chosen more than I was willing to allow.

Edenlei’s tone of voice as he subtly told Keahi to not presume to know the mind of their god was also hot as the lava that flowed under my seat of power and very arousing. A firm, controlled Edenlei was a pleasure to watch. While I dearly loved the feel of sinking into his tight heat, I might need to let him have the pleasure of my ass now and again as long as he used that same confident tone and manner when he did it. A thrill shot down my spine at the idea and I needed to work very hard to keep the lecherous grin from my lips.

_“You are beautiful, my pearl. They simply can’t see it, for which I am eternally grateful.”_

_“You can tell me why you think that later. I’m trying to keep things on focus here for you so you can get what you need from these Priests before they die. Keahi is a pushy know-it-all that can never admit to being wrong about anything even when he knows he’s in the wrong. Quite frankly, he’s an insufferable ass and difficult to deal with at the best of times. This is not the best of times.”_

_“Is that so? What about the other two?”_ I asked, curious about Edenlei’s insight into them.

_“Delshad follows whatever Keahi or Vanida says. I don’t think the man has ever had an original idea in his head in his entire life. Vanida is a shrewd woman but often speaks before thinking things through all the way which has made her rather unpopular with the other Priests. Of the three, Keahi is the leader, Vanida is his second and the two of them tell Delshad what to do. They are the oldest of the Elder Priests so whatever they decree is what comes to pass even if the other Elder Priests don’t think those three are right. _

_“They frequently play on the fact that they interacted with you so long ago and that you spared them your wrath, which meant they were important to you and should be listened to. At least that’s what Fanji has told me about them during general Priesthood meetings. While Fanji will tease me unmercifully, he’d never lie or even stretch the truth about something like that. His faith in you is too solid and pure. On a professional level as servants of Saraf, I don’t think they represent you, the whole you, god and dragon, very well or in a positive light. On a purely personal level, I don’t like any of them.”_

Edenlei was a sharp man and his words confirmed what I knew about the three Priests from my previous dealings with them and through their prayers. I should’ve paid closer attention to the tone and flavour of said prayers after I’d spared their lives. A quick check showed me that they’d been filled with the proper amount of respect and a heavy amount of fear for months after I let them live but the fear had drained away surprisingly fast. At the time I’d thought they were simply contrite, had realized how merciful I was being and released their fears because I was, for the most part, a very merciful god, which they had first-hand experience with.

Their prayers had slowly grown a touch off and while I’d noticed in a vague sort of way, I was busy with other matters involving dragons and time slipped away from me as sometimes happened to us immortals. What was a few decades or even a century or two when we had until the end of time and likely beyond even that? I’d thought the problem involving them had been dealt with severely enough to not have to worry about a repeat performance. I was annoyed with myself all over again for not picking up on the fact that the problem hadn’t been fully dealt with centuries ago. Stopping this twisting of my dogma would’ve been a simpler task if I’d burned out all the rot when I’d first discovered it as Wu-Tyr had urged. He was going to be insufferably smug about being right the next time we spoke.

“Geomancer Edenlei speaks the truth and you’d do well to heed him. It is not your place to question my Will or desires. I find him enchanting and I will not tolerate anyone speaking ill of him. Bear in mind that I don’t need Geomancer Edenlei to tell me if someone does have unkind words to say about him. I will simply know what’s been said. Things will be... unpleasant then for the individual who gives voice to that opinion. I am merciful but one guaranteed way to raise my ire is to disobey my command.”

If possible, Delshad turned even pastier. Vanida lowered her head and stared at the floor. Keahi glared at Edenlei and I could see the man almost choking on the words he wanted to say but he held his tongue. Apparently he did have a few functioning brain cells and a sense of self-preservation. Too bad for him it was only kicking in now.

_“That’s really not necessary, Saraf,”_ Edenlei said with what sounded suspiciously like a long-suffering mental sigh. _“I’m very aware of what I look like and I certainly don’t meet the Fire Elf standard of beauty. Not that I’m a lava slug or anything. Fanji calls me bookishly handsome, whatever that means. I’m content knowing that I please you since it’s only your opinion on how attractive I am that matters to me.”_

I mentally snorted softly. _“You’ve never looked at some of the classical art your people produced centuries ago, have you, my pearl? Tastes change and what was in fashion one year changes the next. I don’t follow the fashionable trends among my servants, the people of the world or even among the gods. Mortals are too short-lived for ones like me and the gods taste in fashions seems more fickle than a summer breeze and subject to change even faster than that of mortals. There was a time, several centuries ago, when the look you have was considered the height of Fire Elf beauty. I’ll show you examples when we go home after this business is done. Regardless of any past, present or future ideals of beauty, I find you beautiful, so you are.”_

Edenlei slanted a look at me like he thought I was teasing him. I wasn’t. Even if he physically didn’t meet any known standards of Fire Elf beauty, I’d still find him enthralling and beautiful. While I was very glad that he did stir my lust because of his physical appearance, it was the person he was, the soul of the man, that I adored. I would love him regardless of how he looked until I ceased to exist.

I had to forcefully reel my mind back from the very desirable path it wanted to take of Edenlei naked in my arms, pliant and aroused, our bodies rubbing against one another sensuously as I showed him physically just how attractive he was to me. By the gods that was a difficult mental image to put aside and focus on the wayward faithful of mine that stood before me. Edenlei sucked in a soft breath and the faint pink of a blush dusted his cheeks. I wanted to grab him to me and kiss him senseless before whisking him back to our home to make love but duty had to come before pleasure and this duty had been allowed to slide for an embarrassingly long time.

“You three have corrupted my faith into something I didn’t intend and most certainly don’t want. Starting now, it will revert to the way I set it out as that is my Will. Refusal in any way will be dealt with in a quick, harsh and permanent manner. I have been a merciful god. Perhaps I’ve been far too lenient with those that have strayed from the path I set out. That ends now. My Will is absolute and my Word is law. Stray from the dogma that I’ve set out and a slow, fiery death will be your reward.

“Elder Priest Keahi, tell me how this mockery of my faith came to pass since you are obviously the leader of this rebellious faction of my faith. I would have you confess your sins in front of your peers before your punishment falls upon you,” I said with a heavy dose of godly command in my voice.

Keahi struggled to remain silent but I had given him a Command. The power of my godhood compelled him to speak when he’d have preferred to remain silent and defiant. He’d promised his life to me when he joined the Priesthood and with that promise came certain responsibilities and actions that couldn’t be denied no matter how he might wish it otherwise. I wasn’t making him say things that weren’t true. I was simply preventing him from staying silent and forcing him to recount his sins publically.

“We did what we thought was best to bring you back to us. It was an Elder Priest who said that your dragon half was stealing you away from us and he was right. You abandoned us for things concerning dragons despite our prayers for you to return to your rightful place as our god. The Elder Priest was the one who said changing the focus of your faith to only your godhood was the right thing to do. He said that focusing on the god would diminish the dragon in you. The Elder Priest researched this and found that gods who lost followers also seemed to lose some of their power but those who gained followers grew in power. It was decided that in order to bring you back to your full glory as our god, we needed to reject your dragon side. When you realized that your power as a god was increasing because of our focus on that aspect, you’d come back to us as a god and leave the dragon part behind,” Keahi said.

I gave Keahi an incredulous look. By all that was holy, that was the stupidest thing I’d ever heard in more than a millennia of existence. While it was true that a god expected his followers to worship and adore said god, as was our due, whether we were worshipped devoutly or utterly forgotten by mortals had zero influence on our powers. We existed without any input from mortals. It was more pleasant and fulfilling to be worshipped and the more followers a god had, the higher their standing among the other gods but worship wasn’t necessary to our power. There were countless wandering gods that had no structured faith and perhaps only a handful of worshippers yet they were still powerful gods.

Then there was the flaw in the logic of attempting to reject my dragon side. The dragon wasn’t an aspect of my godhood. It was part of my birthright. It was half of what I was. Trying to erase my dragon side from my dogma, even if the idea of mortals controlling the extent of a god’s powers based on their worship was true, would never work in my case. That would be like a mortal wishing for a third eye and having it happen through sheer will alone. Not even the Great-Father could excise my dragon half without ending my existence. It wasn’t a random bit of oddity of my dogma. The dragon side of my faith was intimately intertwined to who and what I was in addition to being a god.

“Your actions have no effect on my powers as a god. Worship me or not, it makes no difference to the power I wield. I simply am. I prefer to be worshipped as does any god but whether I have ten thousand followers or none at all, my power stays the same. The dragon is part of what I am and nothing, not even the Great-Father can change that. Nor would I want that part of me to change or disappear. That bit of ridiculousness aside, why have you cut the Geomancers and Clerics from helping to direct my faith?”

“The Elder Priest who researched rejecting your dragon side found scrolls that showed only the Priests were to direct your faith. He said that the Geomancers and Clerics were trying to subvert your faith to give them more power over the people. They knew you weren’t there to stop them in their bid for more power. I’ve seen and studied the ancient scrolls myself so know this to be true. The scrolls that said the Geomancers and Clerics were to be of equal standing in your faith were proven to be false and destroyed after the Geomancers and Clerics holding power they weren’t supposed to were removed from those positions of power by you in the Great Cleansing Fire,” Keahi said, defiance and certainty in his every word.

_“I’ve seen these ancient scrolls as well, Lord Saraf. All newly anointed Priests, Geomancers and Clerics are required to read and study the scrolls for seven days in order to better understand our individual role in your faith,”_ Edenlei said, his mental tone completely professional, the charming blush now faded from his cheeks.

“Bring these scrolls to me. Now,” I demanded.

I could’ve simply had the scrolls appear in my hand, but I liked the theatrics of making the Chosen jump and scramble to obey me. One of the Elder Priests scurried to the door, opened it a crack and ordered one of the Priests guarding the door to fetch the scrolls. The Priest must’ve run like he had lava chasing him to get the scrolls as quickly as he did. The knock to the door of the chamber was only moments after the Priest had been sent to fetch the scrolls. The Elder Priest took the scrolls, closed the door and hurried to me, offering me three scrolls with his eyes downcast.

As soon as the scrolls touched my fingers, I felt subtle magic. Some of it was the magic used to keep the old scrolls intact, which was expected for something of that age. Under that magic was another magic. The other magic was strong and unpleasant to my senses, with a slightly slimy feel to it. It made me want to wash my hands with strong soap and very hot water and oddly reminded me of the scent of meat beginning to rot. A bad feeling settled within me at what that might mean. I handed two scrolls to Edenlei to hold and heard the tiny indrawn breath he took when he accepted them from me.

_“Ewww. What is this? The scroll didn’t feel like this when I last touched it. It feels like it has a thin layer of slime on it but the paper is dry,”_ Edenlei said with disgust in his mental voice._ “I feel like I’ll need to wash my hands thoroughly after touching these.”_

_“Magic not of my doing hiding under the preservation spell on the scroll. It’s very subtle actually and quite well done. I think anyone not a god or god-touched wouldn’t be able to feel the magic unless they were specifically looking for it. Because you now possess a drop of my power as both god and dragon, you’re more sensitive to magic and able to detect the additional magic. This enchantment is not good, my pearl. If this means what I suspect it does, the subversion of my faith was something other than what these fools are claiming. I hope I’m wrong about what I’m thinking, but I doubt it. Puzzle pieces are falling into place but I can’t see the entire picture yet.”_

Edenlei gave me a quizzical look as I held the scroll and resisted the impulse to burn it to ash not only to destroy the item but to cleanse my hands of the disgusting feel of it. I’d give the scroll to one of my dragons and have them wring all possible information about the caster from the workings of the spell. I could do it myself but there was no need when I had several dragons, thousands of years old, that would almost come to blows over the chance to solve this intricate puzzle.

I skimmed over the contents of the scroll, my temper starting to burn at what was outlined in it. There was no authorship to the scroll, which was irritating as a name would’ve made tracking down the author so much easier. I had no doubts that the author of the scroll still lived. The slimy feel to the magic along with the trace scent of rotting meat said necromancer to me. With that in mind, it was highly likely that the one who wrote the scroll was the same individual that was raising dead dragons and had pretended to be me to try to steal the spell Dzaghig created. I was almost certain the scroll I held and the necromancer were connected. Something about the way the scroll was worded seemed familiar and was niggling at my brain but I couldn’t quite put my finger on what it was.

I’d had contact with tens of hundreds of thousands of people over my existence. That I found the writing style familiar likely meant that the author had been somebody fairly recently, probably in the last thousand years or so. While that did help to narrow the field, it still left me with a very large number of individuals to comb through. I was not looking forward to that.

One thing that was certain was that the creator of the scroll was not only one of my Chosen, but someone fairly high up in rank and well versed in my faith. Undoubtedly the Elder Priest that was supposed to have been the one that found the abomination in the first place. That narrowed the pool of candidates considerably. Only someone of a high rank could’ve had access to the original holy writings of my faith and been able to insert the putrid thing I now held into the protected archives.

“This is blasphemy and not a scroll I’ve given to my faithful or authorized. There is a very subtle magic tainting this scroll as well as the ones Geomancer Edenlei holds. It is a magic that feels of rot and decay. It is necrotic and given certain recent events, I’d say that a necromancer is the one who created this. Not only that, the necromancer is most likely one of my Chosen.”

Murmurs of disbelief and dismay rippled through the room. Necromancy was not looked upon kindly among my faithful as it was seen as a disrespectful act to the dead. It could also be a murderous practice under certain circumstances. The magic required for necromancy was tricky, difficult to wield and not for the faint of heart or those afraid of taking risks that could result in an often messy, painful death. It wasn’t uncommon for unskilled necromancers to fall prey to a form of rot that would turn them into one of the creatures that they called from the grave. Necromancy was very unforgiving of errors while spell casting and it only took a few mistakes for the rot to start. Once started, only divine intervention would keep the rot from spreading. While that was, in a strange way, effective in helping to control the number of necromancers wandering around, it also made the ones wandering around very powerful and dangerous because of the natural skill and power they had.

For one skilled in necromancy, aside from raising the dead as their minions, they could manipulate the life force of another being, drawing their victim’s vigor into themselves, and stretching out the necromancer’s life well beyond what was normal. If the necromancer wasn’t bothered by how quickly they drained a victim, they could even maintain the appearance of being in their youthful prime. While that likely appealed to many, the catch was that once their feet were set on the path of necrotizing others to prolong their life, they needed to remain on that path if they wanted to continue living. To stop consuming the life force of others meant the necromancer’s death through necrotic rot of their soul, the price exacted for doing such a heinous act.

“I would have the name of the Priest that “found” these scrolls,” I said with more than a little godly Command in my tone.

“What does it matter now? The Priest has been missing for over forty years. Besides, one of us would never do something as perverse as turn to necromancy,” Delshad said, his voice shaking at the very idea that one of my own could do such a thing.

“Elder Priest Delshad is right,” Keahi said. “You may have forsaken us for a time but we’d never abandon you for the false promises of necromancy.”

“Are you again questioning me?” I asked in a soft voice. “Do you really think that’s wise given the situation you’re currently facing? You will die for your part in twisting my faith. That’s not in doubt. How quickly you die and how agonizing that death is, I haven’t decided yet. Annoying me at this point would be foolish in the extreme.”

“Elder Priest Botam is the one who found the scrolls. But he wouldn’t have done anything to disgrace you or your faith. He loved you. He devoted himself to you completely. He knew your heart. He waited for you to call him to your side again. He was faithful to you always,” Vanida said with conviction.

I swore viciously and pounded my fist on the arm rest of my throne. The rainbow obsidian under my hand shattered into thousands of needle-sharp shards with a crack like thunder. The Priests in the room all jumped and the three in front of me took a step back in unison from the anger I was sure was easily visible on my face.

Botam. Of course. I should’ve known it would be him. Everything was beginning to make sense now.


	13. Chapter 13

** Chapter 13 **

~Edenlei~

“Lord Saraf?” I asked cautiously as I eyed the partial destruction of the throne Saraf sat upon.

I was a little upset over the damage done to the throne when I’d worked so hard on it, but at the same time the sudden surge of power humming through me in concert with Saraf’s angry outburst was staggering. And a little intoxicating if I was being one hundred percent honest. I was grateful I was seated as I didn’t think I’d have been very steady on my feet because the rush was so intense. Not to mention that I was now shockingly half-way hard from the surge. The power immediately dropped off and I got a quick mental apology from Saraf. He was angry. Possibly of the godly wrath level. So angry that he didn’t even seem aware of the jolt of arousal he’d caused me from the burst of power.

I didn’t know why the simple mention of someone’s name would pull that intense of a reaction from Saraf but I knew it was not going to be a pleasant reason. True, Elder Priest Botam appeared to have been the one to turn Saraf’s faith down the current path it walked if my leaps of logic were correct, but the rage mixed in the power Saraf accidently allowed me to briefly feel was... I’d never experienced anything like it and it seemed out of proportion to, well, everything.

Yes, the subversion of Saraf’s faith was a gross insult and worthy of some godly wrath finding someone to smite. As odd as it sounded, the perversion of his faith wasn’t what it felt like the majority of Saraf’s anger was connected to. At least that wasn’t the entirety of it. I would have been willing to swear it was more connected to the man, Botam, than what he’d done, although there was a good deal of anger over that, too.

“Botam was a dalliance, nothing more. I made that clear to him on the few occasions that he shared my bed. He most certainly knows nothing of my heart, then or now,” Saraf said in a voice that was almost more draconic growl than anything. “These scrolls are tainted with necromancy. I know Botam is not only capable of turning to necromancy to further his ambitions of power, but that it is the most logical course for him to take once he realized I wouldn’t be granting him the power he lusted after.”

_“What’s going on, Saraf? Why are you so angry over just the mention of this man’s name?” _I asked wanting to put a hand on Saraf’s arm to sooth him in some way but knowing that would raise questions that Saraf didn’t want asked at this time.

I wouldn’t touch Saraf unless specifically invited while I was representing myself as his Geomancer. No matter how favoured a servant I was and the touches we’d already shared in front his other servants during lunch, I was still his servant just as much as any of the other Priests, Geomancers and Clerics and he was our god. You did not casually touch any god uninvited unless you were actively courting death.

Fine, I was his lover, his Pearl, and god-marked by him. By rights that would allow me to touch him whenever I wished, however I wished and I knew with rock-solid certainty that Saraf would welcome those touches. However, the knowledge of what we were to each other was not knowledge shared outside of us yet and until Saraf gave me permission to state it, I’d keep quiet. I completely understood his reasoning as well. If it was as Saraf surmised, and Botam was the necromancer he was concerned about, that was every reason for us to remain silent about my position in Saraf’s heart. I utterly refused to be used as a pawn against Saraf. Any man that was hungry enough for power to turn to necromancy was one to be wary of. As much as it pained me, I wouldn’t even tell Fanji what the mark on the back of my hand meant until Saraf deemed it safe to announce what we were to each other.

_“Botam is a powerful, manipulative, vain man who’s far too full of himself and one who apparently doesn’t take rejection well. He wasn’t the most adventurous of bed partners either. I grew tired of him and his demands after less than half a dozen encounters. His lust for power far outstripped his actual lust for me. He may have thought he was disguising his lust for power as lust for me but I saw what he was ultimately after and it pissed me off then just as it continues to piss me off now,”_ Saraf said with disgust in his voice. _“I don’t doubt he wanted to be in my bed and enjoyed his time there, but his ultimate goal was to somehow gain more power while he was in my bed.”_

Botam was an idiot. How could someone share Saraf’s bed and not be content with that? Power could be thrilling. Arousing even as that little display when Saraf lost his temper had shown me. But none of that held a flame to actually being in Saraf’s bed, taking him into my body, feeling him find his pleasure and knowing that I was the cause of his joy and satisfaction... that was a special power right there.

_“Botam obviously couldn’t appreciate the gift he was given when you allowed him into your bed. The man was an idiot.”_

_“Even though you’re obviously biased, thank you, Edenlei. However, it is you who is the gift,”_ Saraf said with warmth and affection in his mental voice. I really hoped my pleased blush at his compliment wasn’t as apparent as I thought it was.

“I was with Botam when he suddenly vanished in a column of flame. He was being called to your side then wasn’t he?” Vanida asked although uncertainty now lurked in her eyes. “He’d mentioned frequently that you would call him to be permanently by your side when the time was right. His disappearance in sudden flames from nowhere was proof of that wasn’t it?”

Saraf narrowed his eyes. “You presumed much based on the desires and lies of a power-mad man. Botam’s quest for more power at any cost disgusted me. I never called him to my side. I had no need or desire to. He’s hiding his spark of life from me but he’s never renounced me as one of my Chosen. Because he’s never renounced me, I will find him eventually and I will make him pay for what he’s done and continues to do to my faith. He’s using very strong magic to hide himself but I am a god, his god, and I will find him.”

Vanida looked even more uncertain than before. Delshad looked paler than a ghost and like he was on the verge of passing out. Only Keahi remained defiant and even a little angry looking in the face of what had just been said. I wondered if the man was suffering from some sort of delusional mental illness that made him question the Words and Will spoken by his god. Or perhaps he was just very stupid.

“Botam will be dealt with harshly. About the matter of what you three have done to my faith under the guidance of Botam. It is clear to me that an example needs to be made of those who would question my Word and what I have set out in my dogma. It is also very clear to me that you, Keahi, are the leader of this little band of delusional souls now that Botam is not here. That you still show insolence to me tells me that you’re beyond redemption or worthy of my mercy. Despite your high opinion of yourself, you do not now, nor have you ever, known better about my faith than I do. For presuming to know better than I do how my faith should operate, you will die. It will be very unpleasant for you and it will take a significant amount of time before your spark goes out.

“Vanida, it would seem that you’re beginning to question things that Keahi and Botam told you. You should’ve done that decades if not centuries ago. Especially since you were one of the few that I spared during the last time I felt the need to straighten out the crooked path some of my Chosen had decided to walk while dragging my faith along with them. You, too, will die. You will suffer for your sin of pride and the questioning my Will. You seem to realize the error of your ways now but it is too late for that realization to change your outcome especially since you’d been given my mercy and the chance long ago to correct your ways.

“Delshad. I do believe that you were mostly under the thumb of Keahi, Botam and, to a lesser degree, Vanida, and more or less followed their orders. Following the orders of others doesn’t absolve you of blame for your actions. You have a mind and I would expect you to use it. You were also one of the few I spared centuries ago so should’ve known that the path you continued to walk was not one I sanctioned. Like Keahi and Vanida, by my mercy, you had the opportunity to correct your ways but didn’t take that path. You shall also die. Your suffering won’t be as great as Keahi or Vanida but that is the only mercy you’ll receive for continuing to willfully disobey me.”

Keahi looked mad enough to spew lava. Vanida had paled and her hands shook the tiniest bit. Delshad looked like he was about two breaths away from throwing up or passing out. Possibly both. I think it had finally sunk into them that there was no getting out of their fate and that they were going to die shortly. Or at least begin the process of dying, which was honestly scarier to my mind than the actual dying part.

Saraf rose from his partially destroyed throne and extended his hand to me. Since he was the one initiating contact, I placed my hand in his and stood as well. Saraf gave my fingers a tiny squeeze and between one heartbeat and the next, the entire gathered Priesthood from the chamber moved as a group to the large prayer hall of the temple where services were held.

The space was also filled with what I assumed were all of the Chosen of Saraf since there were so many people present. Quite a few of them looked utterly baffled to be there. Some were in various states of undress with a few people completely naked and soaking wet, soap suds visible in their hair or on their skin. It was more than a little awe inspiring to realize that Saraf had pulled all his Chosen from whatever they’d been doing, wherever that had been, and brought them to the temple in an instant without any apparent effort. Saraf brought my hand to his lips for a kiss before he released me and faced his assembled servants.

“Elder Priests Keahi, Vanida and Delshad have been found to have wilfully corrupted my dogma to be the thing that exists before you now. This current version was never what I intended and it offends me greatly. My dogma will be reverting to what I intended starting immediately. Priests, Clerics and Geomancers all share equal importance in my faith with no one position being higher than another. My dragon half will be brought back into my dogma as it is as much a part of me as your heart is part of you.

“Centuries ago I showed the Priests before you mercy for a similar act of insolence and attempts to usurp my faith yet they did not take that mercy to heart and appreciate it for the gift that it was. For their continued acts of disobedience, blasphemy against me and rejection of my previous gift of mercy, I have sentenced them to die. They will suffer for their arrogance and that suffering should serve as a warning to all of you. I am a merciful god but that mercy is not unlimited and I will not tolerate rebellion among my Chosen. I expect obedience and faith from those who promise their lives to me and to whom I grant a measure of my divine power to. That does not seem to be unreasonable to me.

“I offer all of you, excepting Priests Keahi, Vanida and Delshad, the chance to renounce your faith and service to me now. Should you choose to do that, any power I have granted you will be immediately withdrawn. You will retain whatever powers you were born with but, for obvious reasons, that power will not be anywhere near the level you currently enjoy. I will hold no ill-will against you for your decision to leave but bear in mind that should you blasphemy me, I will know and punishment will be swift and very final. My patience and mercy is not unlimited and I have reached the end of it as far as tolerating rebellion within my Chosen goes. I will be paying much closer attention from this point forward to the goings on of my faith and those who live under my protection be they servants of mine or not.”

The prayer hall was silent for several long seconds. I honestly thought that nobody would renounce Saraf and that his offer to renounce him was purely for show. I was shocked to be wrong. While it wasn’t a flood of people, almost a dozen of his Chosen, three Elder Priests among that number, moved forward and renounced their faith in Saraf. Saraf simply nodded as if he expected that.

_“I did expect it, Edenlei which is why I offered the choice. I can look into the souls of those that serve me as Priests, Clerics or Geomancers and see if they’ve lost their faith in me or my dogma or are simply questioning if the path they are on is really the right one for them. Faith, as you know, is an intensely personal thing and sometimes circumstances happen that cause that faith to be shaken or sometimes even lost,”_ Saraf said.

_“You don’t seem overly upset by these Servants turning their backs on you,”_ I said not understanding how Saraf could be so accepting of the abandonment of some of his Chosen regardless of him giving them the choice. That had to be hurtful and upsetting.

_“I’m disappointed and saddened to lose Servants but I won’t force people to remain in service to me if that’s not where they wish to be. If they don’t believe in me, then it’s better for them and my faith that they bow out. You must have absolute certainty deep in your soul of your faith in order to serve a god as one of his anointed. If that is missing, then I honestly don’t want or need them representing me.”_

“Those of you that have renounced me, I am saddened that your faith in me has been lost but know this is the best decision for us both. You have my Word that I bear you no ill will and you will not suffer any punishment for your decision. Renouncing me severs our connection and any responsibility I have to protect you as one of my Chosen. However, I am a merciful god and as long as you live here, you will still enjoy the protection I afford all the Fire Elves that choose to live within the shadow of my seat of power. Know this though, your prayers to me will go unheard and I will not respond to your pleas for my intervention regardless of why you ask or how desperately you pray to me. Our connection has been burned away with your rejection of me.

“In the future, should you contemplate your choice today and want to find your way back into my grace, speak to Geomancer Edenlei and he will notify me of your wishes. I will decide then if you will be allowed back into my grace. Whether that is as one of my Chosen or simply as one of my worshipers, I will decide based on each individual and what I see in their soul,” Saraf said, his voice resonating with godly command.

The people who’d renounced Saraf vanished as soon as Saraf finished speaking. Some of the Chosen looked a little frightened at Saraf’s effortless display of power. To the best of my knowledge, nothing like that had been seen in centuries and it was more than a little awe inspiring. I was quite sure the entire assembly was now wondering just how offended Saraf was with the way his faith had been twisted. It was easy to see that he was angry although judging that level of anger wasn’t something any of his Chosen would have experience in figuring out.

The air in the chamber seemed to thicken as Saraf looked over his assembled Chosen. I immediately recognized the sensation for what it was. Saraf was letting a little of his power as a god free. The amount was small to my senses but it was soon obvious to me that my perception of just how much divine power he was letting loose was much greater than I thought given the way the Chosen in the chamber were reacting.

Most of the acolytes fell to their hands and knees, panting. Many fully-anointed Chosen staggered as if suddenly hit with a great weight. Some of the older Chosen that had served Saraf for centuries stood but were hunched over and had sweat suddenly begin to run down the sides of their faces as if struggling against something that was incredibly heavy pressing down on them. Keahi, Vanida and Delshad, some of the oldest Priests in Saraf’s faith, stood straight but it was obviously taking effort for them to do so.

I felt Saraf’s power increase a little bit more. There were groans of discomfort from virtually all the Chosen in the room with quite a few of the acolytes and even some of the anointed ending up prone on the stone floor. I wasn’t certain but I thought some of them might’ve passed out from the force of Saraf’s godhood. The ones who weren’t laid out on the floor were forced to their hands and knees, their heads bowed from the weight of Saraf’s godhood. Keahi struggled to raise his head and stared at me as I stood beside Saraf quite obviously unaffected by the level of godhood filling the room. My perception of the level Saraf was setting free was skewed because of the god-mark I had but I didn’t think he was letting much loose.

_“What they’re feeling is barely a sixth of my power. To feel a quarter of it would kill the newest acolytes from the weight. That you were able to bear so much without the benefit of my god-mark was further proof to me that you are the one deserving of having it,” _I Saraf said.

That pleased me incredibly even though I hadn’t really done anything.

“Why... do... you... still... stand?” Keahi panted out between breaths. There was honest confusion in his eyes and tone of voice.

“Because Lord Saraf wills it,” I answered calmly.

It wasn’t entirely a lie but it wasn’t exactly the truth either. The amount of power that Saraf spread through the room was likely considerable but felt like nothing more than weight of his hand on my arm because I bore his god-mark. I could withstand the full weight of his godhood and it would be nothing more to me than a comforting, pleasant sensation going by what I’d already experienced after receiving my god-mark. For a mortal, it would be so overwhelming to feel that much power that they would literally be crushed to death from the weight of not even a full quarter of his power.

Vanida managed to turn her head to the side and stared hard at me as if really seeing me for the first time as she drew in laboured breaths, trying to figure out why I wasn’t on my knees at the very least like everyone else in the room. Her eyes flicked over my body before settling for several long seconds on the rampant dragon on my bicep that was half-visible just below the hem of the short sleeve of my tunic. Her eyes travelled down my arm to the hand that now bore Saraf’s god-mark, which she stared at for several seconds as well. Her eyes suddenly went wide and she made a low sound of denial in her throat.

“God... marked,” she gasped, shock and horror in her tone. “A... true... mark.”

“No!” Delshad denied, his voice high and breathy as he forced his head up to look at me, his eyes bouncing between the mark on the back of my hand and the one on my bicep.

Keahi swore viciously between breaths as he stared at the marks on my hand and arm as well. He struggled to rise but failed against the immense pressure of Saraf’s power even though it was nowhere near the full measure of his godhood. Keahi balled his hands into fists and settled for swearing with every panted breath he took when it became apparent that he couldn’t rise. Several other people in the room gasped and it sounded like somebody started to cry. Aside from the fact that some of the Chosen seemed to know what a god-mark was, their reaction was, to my mind, beyond strange and I didn’t understand why they seemed so distressed that I had Saraf’s god-mark.

While it might be a little surprising that Saraf had chosen me for the honour of bearing his god-mark, I didn’t think I was that poor or odd of a choice to elicit such a negative reaction. I wasn’t a great beauty or the smartest man but I had other qualities that were just as pleasing and those qualities obviously pleased Saraf very much. Truthfully, it made me a little angry that they thought I wasn’t worthy of bearing Saraf’s god-mark. Who were they to think they could determine the heart of a god? Or the heart of anyone for that matter.

That some of the faithful seemed to know just what being god-marked meant going by their reactions was beyond odd. How did they know what that was when that information seemed to have been erased from Saraf’s dogma? I considered myself very well-read with regards to Saraf’s dogma yet I’d had no idea that something like a god-mark even existed or what came with being given one. A bad feeling settle in my belly over what that knowledge might mean.

_“I will get to the bottom of this before we leave my temple, Edenlei. I’ve got a nasty suspicion that this all leads back to Botam,”_ Saraf said, a grim tone in his mental voice.

“You three know the meaning of being god-marked and seem to recognize the symbol. Given that, I’m assuming you know what a Dragon Pearl is as well. Yet Geomancer Edenlei did not and he’s rather well versed and devout in his faith to me,” Saraf mused. He looked at the assembled Chosen and I felt the weight of his power get pulled back into him, freeing the Chosen to move.

“Who among you know what a Dragon Pearl is or what it means to be god-marked. Not touched or Blessed by a god but marked as Geomancer Edenlei is,” Saraf said as he took my hand and held it up so that the dragon on the back of my hand was easily visible to the crowd.

Out of the two hundred or so Chosen in the room, I counted nine people that slowly raised their hands as if afraid what that admission would cost them. Those nine were also all Chosen of roughly the same age as Keahi, Vanida and Delshad, which probably made sense given the cull that Saraf had done several centuries ago. The Priesthood hadn’t been the only branch of Saraf’s faith that had been punished for trying to take his faith in a direction Saraf didn’t want it to go. They had been the ones most harshly dealt with though as the majority of the ones straying from the path Saraf set out had been of the Priesthood.

“Why do those of you who know what the significance of a god-mark or a Dragon Pearl have an issue with Geomancer Edenlei being the one who bears them?” Saraf asked as he looked over his faithful. “Why does that strike so much anger and cause such despair in those of you that know the importance of the marks?”

For several seconds nobody said a word. It was Delshad who broke the silence, his voice wavering, the tone defeated.

“He said you gave him a god-mark. I... we saw it. It was your name burned into his flesh over his heart. He said that once you returned to your rightful place among us, he’d elevate us to sit at your feet to act as advisors to you on matters of your faithful. He said you’d extend our lives beyond what was normal and gift us with more divine power so that we could be the best possible help to you in spreading your glory. I can see now that the mark he showed us is not your god-mark. The other things he promised us are just as likely a lie as the mark he claimed you’d given him.”

_“I should’ve killed Botam when Wu-Tyr advised me to do so,”_ Saraf said in my head, his voice angry and annoyed at the same time. _“If I had, none of this would have happened.”_

“Whatever mark he bears is most definitely not mine. He wasn’t worthy of a simple mark of my favour never mind something as precious as my actual god-mark. He will pay for his mounting list of sins when I find him.”

No sooner had Saraf finished speaking when the doors to the prayer hall flew open to crash against the stone walls. Those closest to the doors yelled in surprise and more than a few sounds of retching soon followed, which was odd. A man stood framed in the doorway for several seconds, backlit by the mid-day sun. A warm breeze blew through the door ruffling his clothes and pushing whiffs of the sickly scent of decay to where I stood with Saraf by the altar. Saraf’s fingers tightened on mine and a truly frightening low, draconic growl twisted from his throat. I saw movement behind the man. There appeared to be a dragon behind him but something was very off about it. I couldn’t get a decent look at the creature so had no idea what was triggering my not-right feelings about it.

“My disciples told me you have finally come back to us. I’ve waited so long for us to be reunited. I haven’t been idle though. I’ve done everything I could to make myself stronger for you. So we could be equals,” the man said as he began walking toward us. “I haven’t quite reached the level of godhood yet, but I’m getting close. I need one more thing and it’s almost within my grasp. I wanted to greet you with that task accomplished, as true equals, but, no matter. Once you know what I seek, you’ll help me get it and then we’ll be an unstoppable force together. We can spread our glory across the land, converting all we find into our service.”

_“Well that idea sounds like it’s made of crazy,”_ I said to Saraf.

_“Not to Botam. I did say the man was power hungry. I had no idea it was that bad,”_ Saraf replied his tone grim. _“It would seem he has delusions of godhood. I wonder if that was always his goal or if that has been a more recent development. Not that it really matters though as he will die for his actions.”_

The closer Botam walked toward us, the stronger the taint of decay became. The Chosen parted quickly to let him pass although I wasn’t sure if they could scent the faint rot I could detect or if there was some other reason they were giving way to him. Nobody seemed bothered by any smell as he passed so perhaps my being able to smell it was something to do with having a measure of a dragon’s power. That was a sort of interesting side effect and I’d need to ask Saraf about that later.

I hadn’t needed Saraf to confirm that the one who approached was Botam once he started speaking. I’d never met the man, him having supposedly died before I was so much as a twinkle in anyone’s eye, but there could only be one person who’d get such an aggressive reaction from Saraf right now. There was also what he’d said that made me certain I was looking at Botam. There couldn’t be two people that delusional about their place who were also Priests of Saraf.

I could definitely see why Saraf had taken the man to bed based on looks alone. He was stunning. Strawberry blonde hair a little past his shoulders, full lips, a firm jaw, high, sharp cheekbones that accentuated eyes the same crystal blue as the ocean and what looked like a trim, well-maintained build. He also looked barely older than me which was more than a little odd as the man was at least several hundreds of years old. Possibly even significantly older than Keahi, Vanida and Delshad. I was sure they were at least three hundred and fifty maybe even nearing four hundred years old. A person could age gracefully but nobody aged that well naturally.

_“Botam is well over four hundred years old. He looks as he does because he’s been draining the vitality from others via necromancy. Yes, he is quite beautiful on the outside however that doesn’t run true through his core. He’s vain, selfish, power hungry and likely more than a little on the mad side. He could never hold even the barest spark of comparison to the beauty you possess, My Pearl. You are exquisite inside and out. Botam isn’t fit to lick the ash from your shoes.”_

Warmth spread through me at Saraf’s words. I knew he meant them and wasn’t simply saying what he did to make me feel better about my looks. I glanced at Botam as he continued to approach and a startling need to show possession surged through me. I was Saraf’s Pearl. I was the one that bore his god-mark. He loved me and as childish as it was I wanted to demonstrate that to Botam. Saraf was mine and mine alone as far as lovers and a partner went and there was absolutely no way in all the planes of existence that I’d ever share Saraf with another.

“I love you, Saraf,” I said softly as I slid my free hand over his cheek, cupped the back of his head and pulled him into a gentle kiss.

I caught Saraf by surprise with my actions but that surprise only lasted seconds before he kissed me back with a staggering amount of love and desire. His free arm slipped around my back and he pulled me snug against his body. A tiny moan of desire came from me at feeling his hardening cock against my belly. I couldn’t have stopped myself from pressing my rapidly firming cock against him if my life had depended on it. It was truly heavenly to be in Saraf’s arms and I would be forever grateful to have his love.

_“You are a true delight my sassy Geomancer. Once we’re done here, I’m going to spend hours loving you into exhaustion.”_

_“I’m completely fine with that plan,”_ I replied, giddy excitement rushing through me. Sex with Saraf was a pleasure of heavenly delight.

“Who is this person, Saraf?” Botam demanded as he came to a halt a few feet from where we stood. “I was willing to overlook you taking others to bed while I was gone as I understand you having needs that I wasn’t there to satisfy. I’m here now though and this unattractive man can scurry back under whatever rock he crawled out from. It was thoughtful of you to choose plain individuals so that I wouldn’t feel jealous.”

Saraf drew back from our kiss and turned to look at Botam. Saraf was extremely annoyed with the man in addition to being angry yet Botam didn’t seem to realize that, which boggled my mind. While it was true that I was very attuned to Saraf’s emotions because of the bond we shared, one didn’t have to be so intimately connected to him to know he was very close to the godly-wrath level of temper. One look at Saraf’s face was enough to tell even a casual observer how truly angry Saraf was. The Chosen closest to us seemed to understand that Saraf was barely holding himself back from frying Botam on the spot and discreetly edged back from the dais where we stood. Botam was an even bigger idiot than I thought and I’d barely even met the man.

“This is Geomancer Edenlei and he is a more beautiful individual than you could ever hope to aspire to be, Botam. Not that I owe you any kind of explanation, however, it pleases me to let all my Chosen formally know that Geomancer Edenlei bears my god-mark as well as carrying my dragon mark. He is my Pearl. As such, he is owed a large measure of the respect and deference you show me,” Saraf said as he once again held up our clasped hands, the dragon burned into the back of my hand clearly visible. “You have much to answer for, Botam. I’m glad you foolishly decided to show yourself here and now. It saves me the trouble of needing to hunt you down and end your twisted plans.”

Botam turned a very unbecoming shade of red. I was completely caught off guard when he reached out snake-quick and grabbed my arm, yanking me away from Saraf and off the slightly raised dais we’d been standing on. I stumbled and went down on hands and knees in front of Botam, my fall at his feet pulling my arm from his grasp. He didn’t try and grab me again but he probably only wanted to get me away from Saraf. There was a bellow of rage from Saraf unlike anything I’d ever heard. I saw his form start to shift into his draconic one and swore as I pushed myself to my feet and quickly moved out of grabbing range from Botam.

The man was obviously dangerous and delusional. I didn’t doubt he knew exactly what it meant to be god-marked since he’d adorned himself with a false mark in order to fool those Priests who still foolishly believed him to do what he told them to. I was protected from most deaths because of the god-mark but Saraf had said that I could still be physically hurt and I had no desire to see just how hurt I could be without dying.

Aside from my safety though, I needed to do something to ensure the safety of my fellow Chosen who were now much more fragile than I was. Fanji was somewhere in the crowd and I’d be crushed with guilt and sorrow if he died because I didn’t stop Saraf from becoming a dragon when I could’ve. I was certain Saraf would regret any actions he let his temper push him into that caused his Chosen harm.

“Saraf, no. The prayer hall can’t contain a dragon. The building would be destroyed by such a massive form and the people gathered in here would die. None here deserve that, aside from Elder Priests Keahi, Vanida and Delshad. And Botam. I’m fine and unhurt,” I said hoping that Saraf realized the disaster he was about to cause by becoming a dragon in a space not meant to house such a large creature. We should probably do something to address that issue since Saraf should be able to appear in the primary worship space in whatever form he wanted without the danger of destroying the place.

“You know I don’t have control over the extent of my power yet and I could potentially do more harm than good if I tried to use my power to protect those assembled here. Keeping people from being crushed to death by the stones of the prayer hall collapsing would take a finer touch than I have right now. I’m sure you know that.”

I breathed a small sigh of relief when Saraf remained a man. That was until I looked at his face and saw the murderous rage in his eyes and it was all focused on Botam. I didn’t even blink but suddenly found myself in Saraf’s bedroom. It took a moment for me to realize that I was alone and what Saraf had done. While his concern for my safety warmed my heart, it also pissed me off to no end that he dropped me into his seat without even consulting me about what he was going to do. So far, my experience with the mental communication I could now have with Saraf was lightening quick. It probably would’ve taken all of two heart beats for that conversation and for us to have a reasonable discussion about what should be done.

_“Saraf, bring me back to the temple right now. I will not have you face Botam alone.”_

_“I need you safe, Edenlei. It would kill me to lose you,” _Saraf said, rigid control in his mental voice. _“I refuse to put you in danger and Botam is most certainly a danger. I will handle this and join you soon.”_

_“I’m not arguing that Botam is a dangerous individual given what you’ve said and what you believe he’s done. He’s obviously an unstable individual just from the little I’ve seen of him and heard. However, what can he do to me, especially when you’d be right beside me? You said I’m virtually immortal now and I have utter faith in you to keep me from ultimate harm.”_

Saraf sighed mentally. I didn’t have a lot of experience in relationships but I didn’t like the sound of that. I had the nasty suspicion that it didn’t bode well for my going back to Saraf’s side.

_“He has a blade on his hip, Edenlei. There’s something not right about it. I don’t think it’s a god-killing knife but I’m not certain. Perhaps it’s one simply blessed by a god. In any case, I highly doubt it can seriously hurt me but I’m not so sure about what it could do to you. You are protected from most injuries but you’re not a god and some things that won’t kill one of us can still kill one god-touched. _

_“If it was anything other than an ordinary knife, I’d simply take the knife from him. However, many god-killing objects are bespelled to prevent a god from touching them without serious and usually incapacitating harm. Sort of a fail-safe to keep us from easily killing each other over petty things. _

_“I’m not going to take a chance with your life, Edenlei. Botam has somehow managed to acquire something that might greatly inconvenience me but possibly kill you. I refuse to give him that chance. I’m enraged that he managed to touch you at all but thankful he didn’t do anything more than grab you. He will pay for that insult.”_ The level of anger in Saraf’s mental voice was staggering. And heartwarming if I was being completely honest.

_“He caught us both off guard by grabbing me like he did but nothing came of it. It won’t happen again because I’ll be on guard for him to try to grab me. My duty, as your lover, partner and Geomancer, is to be at your side supporting and helping you in any way I can. Fine, I don’t have the same excellent control of my Geomancer powers as I did just a day ago thanks to your god-mark but I certainly wouldn’t trade perfect Geomancer control for not having your god-mark. I also don’t think that less than perfect control of my power would necessarily be a bad thing in this instance as long as I keep any Geomancing strictly to defending from Botam if need be,”_ I argued in what I thought was a perfectly reasonable tone.

_“No, Edenlei. You’re safe where you are and you’re going to stay safe because I will it. I am commanding you stay where I put you.”_

There was a note of finality to Saraf’s words that didn’t sit well with me. Was he commanding me as my god or as my husband? I would accept his decree as one of his Geomancer obeying the Word of his god. But if he was giving me that command as my husband, which I thought he was doing, then we were going to be having our very first fight in short order.

He simply wasn’t going to be allowed to order me around as my husband. We couldn’t have a loving, open, trusting relationship if he ordered me around as my husband and expected me to obey him unquestioningly. Saraf should know that much about me. I also considered my position as his husband as taking precedence over my position as his Geomancer. Not by much because I was devout, but being his husband was slightly more important than being his Geomancer in my view.

Saraf refused to say anything further despite my demanding he answer me, which was both highly irritating and worrisome at the same time. I thought he was being overly cautious and it annoyed me that he was behaving so high-handed. I understood my new limitations with my control of my power quite well. The little demonstration earlier when Saraf directed me to look for the lava flow beneath the floor of his throne room and my unintentionally setting my clothes on fire was a firm lesson on how much I needed to re-learn about control of my powers and how little power to use for even the simplest of tasks. But, if Botam was as bad as I thought he was going by the little we’d recently learned, him being the focus of my less-than-perfectly controlled powers wasn’t a completely bad idea in my mind. Besides, Saraf would be right there to rein in anything that started to get away from me.

I started to pace back and forth as I thought. I could help Saraf. I’d made a promise on my very soul to help him as his lover and partner and he was keeping me from fulfilling that promise. I scowled and stomped out of the bedroom. Saraf had to know that I wouldn’t be able to sit off to the side while he confronted Botam as well as dealt with the Elder Priests that had been perverting his faith for so long. I had every confidence that Saraf could deal with all of that on his own. He was a god after all. It was simply important in my mind that we presented ourselves as a united, strong front since all of the Chosen now knew of our relationship.

Unfortunately for me, Saraf hadn’t explained how to use flames as a portal before we showed up in the dining hall of the temple. I also was sure it wouldn’t be a good idea for me to try and use magic of that level on my own at the moment since I could easily see myself ending up half a world away from where I intended if I could even manage the basics of creating a portal in the first place. So unless he brought me to his side, I was close to being stuck in his seat. But close to stuck and actually stuck were two different things and I still had an option or two to exercise.

I needed to find a dragon.

Saraf told me that there were always at least a half dozen dragons in his seat at any given time. One of them was either going to open a portal for me or was physically going to bring me to Saraf if Saraf himself wasn’t going to bring me back to his side. The twins knew how to use flames as a portal but I wasn’t reckless enough to ask them to show me given the situation I’d be going back to. That would be just asking for trouble and quite possibly putting the twins in danger, something I’d never willingly do.

I’d be at Saraf’s side in short order and nothing was going to stand in my way to get there. That was where I was meant to be and that was where I was going to be. A certain god willing or not.


	14. Chapter 14

** Chapter 14 **

~Saraf~

Botam was going to die. That wasn’t in question. My dilemma was the speed of the dying. Logically, I knew I should put an end to him as quickly as possible. While he was mortal, no match to me and never could be, keeping him alive and tormented for days or, better still, weeks on end just so I could satisfy my desire to make him suffer for all that he’d done was not the safest or wisest move.

I wanted to watch him suffer though. I wanted to feed my draconic desire for vengeance for what he’d done to my faith. Revenge for wrongs done was a huge deal to dragons. Legends were told of some of the more creative ways dragons had exacted their due. Botam had wronged me by perverting my faith. He’d also insulted Edenlei and laid his filthy hands on my Pearl. Those things weren’t going to be allowed to happen without severe punishment.

I also had the three Elder Priests to deal with. They needed to die as well for continuing to corrupt my faith despite the mercy I’d shown them centuries before. They were supposed to die slowly so they could contemplate their wrongs before release found them. Their painful, drawn out deaths were to also serve as a harsh, vivid reminder to my Chosen that one did not annoy a god and do things contrary to how said god wanted things done without facing dire consequences.

However, with Botam in front of me needing immediate attention, the punishment of my wayward Priests needed to be put on hold at least for a little while. I made an annoyed sound in my throat and flicked my fingers at my wayward Priests, trapping them in a bubble of fire. I would mete out their punishment later once Botam was dealt with.

I knew I’d made Edenlei a little bit angry by sending him to our home but I needed him to be safe and there was no place safer than my seat. Perhaps more than a little bit angry if his most recent mental demand that I hadn’t responded to had been any indication. I’d deal with his temper later. He loved me. He was a reasonable, practical man. He would realize why I’d done what I’d done and forgive me. Eventually.

“Why did you say that Geomancer has your god-mark? Was it to make me jealous?” Botam asked as he joined me on the dais at the altar as if he had every right to be there. “I’m glad you saved me the trouble of needing to send him away. Or having to kill him if he’d refused to leave. That would be unnecessarily messy. You can’t be serious though and think that I’d believe you think he’s more beautiful than me. More worthy than me. I could never be jealous of such a plain, insignificant man as him. You love me.”

My temper flared hot but I reeled it in as best as I could. Edenlei was correct in that letting my temper push me into actions I wanted to take against Botam would likely end up badly for the rest of my Chosen watching what was unfolding in front of them.

“No, I do not love you and I never have. At no time during our few regrettable encounters have I ever said anything hinting or alluding to have any feelings for you aside from easing my baser needs. Edenlei has my eternal love and does me the great honour of bearing not only my god-mark but my mark as Lord of Metallic Dragons as well. Whether or not you’re jealous is of no importance to me. I didn’t think of you at all beyond the time my cock was buried in your ass,” I answered dismissively.

Botam stared at me with confusion and denial that slowly turned to anger. I was waiting for him to explode. He’d never had much luck controlling his temper in the past and I highly doubted he’d learned any in the centuries we’d been apart. I had to admit that I was anticipating the upcoming killing of Botam with a great deal of pleasure.

“You can’t have given him your god-mark. It’s a trick to make me jealous because I was gone for so long from your side without a single word. I had to do that for us. I needed to focus on gaining power so I could stand at your side as your equal. All my hard work is about to pay off for us, too. I’m nearly a god right now. I soon will be once I get one last spell. I did it for you, for us, so that we could rule over these peasants as is our right as gods. Why do you think I’d believe you’d refuse this gift that I’m offering you? This is what we both want.”

“Nearly a god? Highly doubtful. You have no understanding of the level of power a god wields. You’re likely extremely powerful as a mortal but nowhere near the level of a god or even a demi-god. I’d highly doubt that you’re even as powerful as one god-touched, such as Edenlei. I grow bored with this conversation. It’s beyond time to put an end to you and your delusions of grandeur.”

There was a whooshing sound next to me and one of the braziers of flame that perpetually burned on the dais suddenly shot flames into the air that were the height of a man. For a moment I wondered what Botam was planning. Even as delusional as he was, he had to remember that no flame could harm me.

I stared in disbelief as Edenlei stepped unsteadily from the flames. He squawked in surprise as he stumbled from the slightly elevated height of the brazier before regaining his balance. How, in the name of all the gods, had he managed to use flames as a portal when I hadn’t shown him the spell to do so?

Edenlei straightened and smoothed his tunic before moving to stand at my side. It warmed me that he was so determined to be by my side at the same time that it annoyed me that he defied my command to stay in the safety of my seat. I was about to chastise him and send him back when I saw the look in his eyes. _Shit._ I’d apparently vastly underestimated the level of temper Edenlei would have as a result of my sending him to safety. His temper might just rival that of an offended dragon. I was both attracted and dismayed.

“I told you to stay safe in our home. How did you manage to use flames as a portal?” I asked.

“I had one of the dragons open a portal for me. My place is here, beside you,” Edenlei said in a voice that was firm and filled with determination.

Botam’s eyes narrowed as he looked at Edenlei. His mouth thinned and I saw his hand inch to the hip that the strange knife rode. Edenlei noticed the movement of Botam’s hand as well. He flicked his fingers at Botam and muttered in annoyance when Botam cursed and staggered to one side as fist-sized rocks flew to Botam’s hip, knocking him off-balance and covering the knife in a solid mass of stone. Botam gaped at the stones on his hip before he glared at Edenlei.

“You dare to attack me? It is death to attack a god,” Botam hissed as he pushed ineffectively at the stones collected at his hip. “Release my knife immediately and I’ll be merciful and swift with your punishment.”

“You a god? No, I’m not sensing that and I have a very good feel now of what god-level power is like. If you were a god as you say you are, you should be able to remove the stones yourself. Since you can’t seem to do that, I’m going to go so far as to say that you’re not even as powerful as one of the oldest Geomancers. Fine, one of them would still probably fail at removing the stones from you because my power is now at an unbelievably high level thanks to Lord Saraf’s god-mark, but that’s not the point.

“Lord Saraf informed me that the knife on your hip may have some properties that could inconvenience him and possibly harm me. It’s my duty to protect Lord Saraf from harm if it’s within my powers as his Geomancer. It’s my responsibility as his husband to stand with him and defend him from those who would attempt to do him harm. My encasing the knife in stone was not an attack on you but preventative measures to keep you from attacking either one of us. If I was to attack you, you most certainly would know it in the few moments before your death. What I did just now was a little stronger than I intended but I’m still working out my new power levels and adjustments need to be made.”

Botam snorted inelegantly and gave up pushing against the stones at his hip as if they weren’t even there. “You think you could kill me? Now I know you’re truly stupid as well as ugly.”

A low draconic growl left my throat at the insult to Edenlei and my temper flared white hot. He put his hand on my arm to stop me from lunging at Botam and ripping his throat out at the same time that he mentally told me to do nothing. I almost leapt at Botam anyway but the tone of Edenlei’s mental voice made me restrain myself for the moment. I knew Botam’s comment had hurt Edenlei but it also made him angry. I’d yet to see Edenlei lose his temper and was curious as to what I might be in for later. Forewarned was forearmed after all.

“You have less depth than a mud puddle and about the same amount of appeal. While I know I don’t fit the current vision of Fire Elf beauty, Lord Saraf has assured me that he finds me extremely pleasing to the eye as well as mentally and spiritually appealing. Considering that he is a god and knows more than any mortal could ever hope to know, your opinion of my looks, or anything else about me really, means absolutely nothing. As for killing you, I’m positive I could do it without meaning to because I have just that much power at my disposal now. Lord Saraf wishes that pleasure for himself. I won’t take from him what’s rightfully his.”

_“That was very well said, Edenlei,”_ I said with pride in my mental voice.

_“Of course it was,”_ Edenlei said dismissively. _“I suggest you squash him like the bug he is so we can be done with him and get on to other matters. Specifically the matter of you trying to order me to do something as my husband and expecting me to obey you. We’re going to be having some words, Saraf, and they won’t be pleasant words.”_

I somehow managed to keep the chuckle that wanted to escape to myself at the mildly rebuking words and slightly snippy tone Edenlei had. I didn’t doubt for a second that I’d made him very angry with my earlier actions, but I happened to think he was magnificent when he was furious but working to control his temper and present himself as cool and collected.

_“I suggest you don’t dawdle in dealing with Botam, Saraf. I’m sure you know, but he is subtly trying to dislodge the stones I’ve encased the knife in. It’s not going to matter if he does get the stones off the knife. I used too much power again and the knife is now part of the stones. However, Botam isn’t a Geomancer and doesn’t know that.”_

I felt quite a bit of relief in hearing that. The knife and its closeness to Edenlei had worried me. Knowing that it wasn’t an issue now actually had me relaxing somewhat. Botam was still a danger all on his own but with the removal of possible harm the knife had posed, I had no fears for Edenlei’s life. There was nothing Botam could do that would be fatal to Edenlei. Not even Botam’s necromancy, which I knew was powerful, would be able to take Edenlei’s life. I was actually quite impressed with Edenlei for thinking of a simple yet effective way to remove the threat of the knife from the situation.

Botam’s necromancy did pose a threat to the rest of the Chosen in the prayer hall though. My assembled Chosen could provide Botam will all manner of power should he decide to go that route and if he was foolish enough or desperate enough to try right in front of me. If Botam had enough skill to raise and control dead dragons, draining the life from my Chosen in the hall to fuel whatever spells he wanted to unleash was likely something within the scope of his power. That wouldn’t be allowed to happen. My Chosen had my protection.

I extended the barest drop of my power to encapsulate my Chosen in a protective shell, protecting their life essence from being drained away. I doubted Botam would be able to sense it. I was a god after all as well as a dragon and crafting the subtlest of spells was one of my in-born abilities. Even if Botam did notice the protection I’d surrounded my Chosen with, there was nothing he could do to negate my protection. A mortal trying to use spells to dismiss the Will of a god would never succeed. It was time to bring this festering issue of Botam to an end.

“I grow beyond tired of this, Botam. I have much better things to be doing than giving you as much attention as I have today. You have damned yourself by engaging in necromancy to try to grow your power well beyond what you were born with or what I had gifted you with. I’m sure you were very aware of what the possible outcome of your actions could be when you started down the path you currently walk. You’ve extended your life and the appearance of youth by draining the life those you snared in your thrall. You will answer for that affront when you die and your soul is judged. The offense I’m about to pass judgement on was the deliberate perversion of my faith by one of my Chosen. For that crime, you will pay with your life.”

I wanted to make Botam suffer. I wanted my Chosen to watch his suffering so they would know that to disobey my Will was to bring pain and suffering upon yourself. Botam was an incredibly vain man and I could think of few things that would cause him more pain than to lose the youth and beauty he’d maintained through stolen life forces. Especially since once his youth and beauty faded, he’d begin to rot from his centuries long use of necromancy to prolong his life. He’d become something truly hideous both inside and out before death claimed him. I didn’t think it would take overly long for death to come to him once the rot had a firm hold on him, which was regrettable, but he would still suffer immeasurably both mentally and physically as he died.

I had only a basic understanding of the workings of necromancy since it wasn’t something in my wheelhouse as a god. I didn’t need to know the finite details of the spells and incantations of necromancy to do what I was about to because it wasn’t something necromantic. I was simply going to withdraw all divine power that he’d received as one of my Chosen, which was a significant amount given the level he’d achieved as one of my Chosen before disappearing from my fold. By taking away his divine power, I highly doubted Botam would have the raw amount of personal power necessary to maintain his ties that allowed him to remotely steal life and power from others continuously as well as raise and control dead dragons.

With his hold on those he was draining significantly weakened, I could burn away the thinning threads connecting him and his thralls with my power as a god since he was still one of my Chosen. Doing so would likely turn his power sources to ash leaving him nothing to draw from to sustain himself. Newer thralls might have a chance of living but no guarantee of coming out of the severing whole in either mind or body.

With my Chosen in the hall protected from anything he might try, Botam would be out of new sources to draw power from. Just in case his area of effect to draw power from was larger than I thought I extended my protection to every living thing on the island. Edenlei inhaled quietly, likely feeling my power blanket everything on the island, even those who renounced me earlier. I didn’t want to leave Botam with the barest opportunity to steal power to try to thwart me. It was a very minor amount of power to me to expend but to Edenlei it probably felt massive.

I smiled slowly. Botam was about to have the absolutely worst day of his very, very long life.

Had Botam come personally to steal the spell from Dzaghig instead of sending one of his servants, I’d have drawn back the divine power I’d given him and scorched away his power ties then and been done with the whole affair. I had a small twinge of guilt in knowing that my abruptly severing Botam’s mystical ties would more than likely kill all his servants but it was unavoidable. In my opinion, they were better off with a swift death than painfully withering away like the servant I’d encountered before. Or alive and suffering from what would be a large magical backlash that would probably drive them insane or severely disfigure them, if they survived the severing.

I abruptly withdrew all divine power from Botam leaving him with no more power at his disposal than he’d had when he’d first pledged himself to my service so many centuries ago. It was still more than the average Fire Elf had, but nowhere near the amount of power he’d had just a few heart beats ago. Botam gasped and staggered, almost falling against me, his eyes wide in shock at the sudden loss. I side-stepped quickly, moving Edenlei with me and keeping him away from Botam. Just because I knew Botam couldn’t do anything to hurt Edenlei didn’t mean I’d give him the opportunity to try something anyway.

With the majority of his power base suddenly gone, I felt Botam mystically grope wildly for the threads that allowed him to drain life and power from those foolish enough to serve him. Undoubtedly he was going to drain most of those connected to him in a rush to try to maintain his power levels. He wasn’t a stupid man and would’ve immediately known that it was no accident the divine power he was so accustomed to having was suddenly gone. I was fairly sure he understood that it wouldn’t be returning to him either. Without the addition of the divine power I’d given him as one of my Chosen, it was beyond easy to keep Botam from re-connecting to his servants and burning away the now weakened ties.

The scream of denial, rage and pain from Botam when he realized what was beginning to happen to him was unearthly and chilling but oh so satisfying. For several seconds Botam didn’t move as he tried again and again to grab for the power he was now cut off from. A small smile graced my lips when I saw Edenlei gesture and stones from the floor seemed to flow over Botam’s feet, up his shins and part way up his thighs, holding him immobile where he stood on the dais just out of arms reach of us. There was no way Botam could move as the stone covering his lower body looked to be at least two feet thick.

_“Just in case he gets any weird ideas about attacking us,”_ Edenlei said. He frowned a little as he stared at Botam. _“I didn’t intend to cover that much of him with stone or to use so much stone. I thought I was barely using any power but I guess I need to use even less. This jump in my power level is really going to take some getting used to and quite a bit of re-training.”_

I gave Edenlei a small smile at that. What he’d tried to do was a very, very minor a thing compared to what he’d be able to do when he really delved into his power. If he wanted to, he could probably move a small mountain or create an ocean wave a hundred feet high and a mile long. It might be beneficial for him to speak to Eilam, Rhas-Khan’s husband, about vastly increased magic levels. Eilam was not only a Fatebender Mage but Mage-born as well and had been quite powerful in his own right before becoming Rhas-Khan’s husband. Eilam had also borne Rhas-Khan’s god-mark for several centuries and had, quite literally, centuries of experience in going from mortal magic use to god-touched magic use. I’d need to arrange something soon to help Edenlei adjust.

It was subtle at first as years began to accumulate on Botam’s face. Fury blazed in his eyes but there was nothing he could do to stop the age and decay that was taking over his body. With the stones covering the majority of legs, my incinerating his link to his servants and taking away his divine power, he could only glare at us, curse and seethe in impotent rage. The innate magic he’d been born with and still retained was vastly insufficient to stop the decay and his attempts to hurl it at me and Edenlei were as noticeable and about as effective as a gnat harassing a dragon.

The prayer hall was utterly quiet and still despite being filled with several hundred of my Chosen. Decades crawled over Botam as we watched. His skin wrinkled and loosened in some places and tightened paper-thin over bone in others. The first few spots of rot were barely noticeable when they started, being not much bigger than freckles or beauty marks. They didn’t stay small though and as the areas of rot grew, the smell of decaying flesh began to waft from Botam.

Edenlei wrinkled his nose in disgust at the smell. Botam didn’t seem to notice the smell at first, possibly because he was used to the smell of decay from his centuries involved in necromancy and the dead things he undoubtedly had around him that did his bidding. However, it didn’t take him long to connect Edenlei’s expression with the rot he knew would attack his flesh if his grip on his power ever waned significantly, which it most certainly had when I withdrew my divine will from him.

Botam began screaming obscenities and threats, his voice losing its youthful vigor as the years continued to move over his face and the rot grew and spread. He tried to get free of the stones that held him without success. Even if he’d still had the power I’d allowed him as one of my Priests, he’d have still been unable to free himself from the stones trapping him.

Only another Geomancer as strong or stronger than Edenlei would’ve been able to free Botam and Botam had no aptitude for geomancing. There also wasn’t another Geomancer, alive or dead, that even came close to the level of power Edenlei could now wield. Botam alternately cursed Edenlei for what he’d done and demanded to be set free immediately. Edenlei rightfully ignored him.

Movement at the door to the hall caught my eye. I hoped it wasn’t one of Botam’s surviving servants with some insane idea of saving his master or helping Botam to escape the punishment he deserved. Four people were going to die in the prayer hall. I had no desire to have more added to that number because of misplaced loyalty to an insane, power-hungry man.

A man of shorter than average stature stood silhouetted in the doorway for a moment before walking with sure steps into my prayer hall. Tension eased in me as I recognized the familiar power of a god in the one walking toward me. Rai-Sui was a fellow god of my pantheon and I had nothing to fear from him. Nor did Edenlei or any of my Chosen.

Except for Botam.

Botam likely had a great deal to fear from Rai-Sui since he was the God of Death and Decay and Guardian of Souls. Necromancers frequently prayed to Rai-Sui if not actually worshipped him. I had no idea if Botam had been worshiping Rai-Sui, at least in a casual sense, in an effort to collect more power. I honestly wouldn’t have put it past Botam in his quest for more power.

Botam wouldn’t have been able to pledge himself to Rai-Sui in full worship without first renouncing me, which he hadn’t done. Nothing prevented him from casually praying to another god though. It made perfect sense to me that Rai-Sui was coming to collect Botam’s soul personally instead of sending one of his psychopomps to do the job given how long Botam had avoided death and the manner in how he avoided dying when he should’ve.

Edenlei sucked in a startled breath at seeing Rai-Sui’s face. He wasn’t the only one to have that reaction either. All of my Chosen on the left side of Rai-Sui backed away quickly with their eyes downcast. A storm of prayers flew at me from my Chosen who’d seen the left side of Rai-Sui’s face, begging for protection from him. I wasn’t surprised at the reactions or the prayers. I’d have actually been surprised to have not seen that reaction.

Rai-Sui did not often appear before large groups of people. Or even small groups of people. He was well aware of the fear he caused simply from his physical looks. If those who saw him happened to know who he was, the terror was almost a tangible thing. Among mortals, usually only those who’s souls needed godly assistance and guidance into the beyond saw Rai-Sui. To see Rai-Sui was to know that someone or even a group of people in the immediate area were about to die.

To say Rai-Sui was unusual looking was an understatement of an epic nature. The right side of his face was beautiful even for one who was divine. There was a serene and accepting air that seemed to surround him at all times. The beauty of Rai-Sui’s face on the right was not mirrored on the left. The majority of the left side of his face had all the skin and muscle stripped from it in an irregular shape, exposing the literal bare bones of his face and even his teeth on that side. It wasn’t a wet, gruesome, fresh sort of wound where the flesh was torn or hacked away or rotting off his face but the oddly simple, stark beauty of a skull revealed.

I’d seen Rai-Sui countless times but he was still startling to see at first glance because of the way he looked. While he was the God of Death and Decay, there was no smell of rot that clung to him despite the way he looked. Instead, there was always a subtle, spicy/earthy scent that clung to him, much like the sweet scents of the oils and spices used during some funeral rites.

The eye socket in the skull portion of his face was empty and blacker than the bottom of the deepest, darkest grave in all the realms. Even so, there was a shimmery, almost black rainbow effect when you looked into the depths of his eye socket. It was unnerving and entrancing at the same time. I often wondered if he could see out of that eye socket somehow but felt like it would be the height of rudeness to ask despite being more or less family.

The eye he did have was silvery-grey with no white. It was very striking with the bottom of his pupil looking like it was dripping into the silver of his iris and down his cheek in a thin line. His hair was an intriguing mix of dark brown, golden blonde and mauve that hung a little past his shoulders. If he angled his head just so, he could mostly hide the skull side of his face with his hair. He didn’t often do that though as he saw no reason to hide what he was or what he looked like. He was very comfortable with himself and his appearance and wasn’t concerned with how others viewed him. Rai-Sui, like Wu-Tyr, was a pleasure to talk to as well, being a deeply contemplative person with a very calming air about him.

All of us gods had some sort of immediately noticeable marking that stamped us as divine beings. For me, it was my dragon arm and third eye. Ammiel’s third eye and markings around his eyes were his sign of godhood. Fei-Lau had a large snowflake on his forehead that marked him as the God of Winter Storms. Rhas-Khan had translucent grey hands filled with points of lights as his proof of godhood as not only the God of the Abyss but the Abyss itself.

Rai-Sui’s partial skull face just happened to be a bit more shocking than most marks of godhood. The way he’d received it was unusual as well and I wasn’t really sure it could actually be called his mark of godhood since he hadn’t been born that way. I’d heard that Rai-Sui could materialize his hands as skeletal ones but I’d never personally seen him do that in all the time that we’d existed. To be perfectly fair, his fraternal twin, Mkhai, the God of Warfare & Weaponry, was equally as shocking in appearance with all manner of metallic bone spikes pushing through the flesh of his arms, legs and even his face.

_“Saraf?”_ Edenlei asked his voice confused, wary and a little frightened all at once. _“What or who am I looking at? I can feel a very large amount of banked divine power from the one in front of us. It’s quite subtle so I’m not sure if he’s god-touched like me or a god in his own right but I have the feeling that he is a god. Is he a god?”_

_“Yes. That is Rai-Sui, God of Death and Decay and Guardian of Souls,”_ I said. _“I’m assuming he’s here for Botam’s soul. You’ve nothing to fear from Rai-Sui right now as he’s not here for your soul.”_

_“So you’re saying that even with your god-mark making me immortal for all intents and purposes, he could still come for my soul and actually take it? Well that’s reassuring,”_ Edenlei said with a soft mental snort.

“Rai-Sui, always a pleasure to have you visit,” I said warmly. “Been quite a while since I last saw you. I’d like to present to you, Geomancer Edenlei. He does me the great honour of bearing my god-mark and is my Pearl.”

“Yes, it has been a long while, Saraf. We should do something to correct that. I believe we were in the middle of a game of Conquer, in which you were losing quite badly to me, when we last visited with each other. Congratulations to both of you. This is a new development I take it? I hope to someday find the soul that fits mine,” Rai-Sui said with a small smile which was both friendly and frightening because of his partial skull.

Edenlei’s expression became one that I could only call professional and respectful when he looked at Rai-Sui. Edenlei placed his hands in the prayer position and bowed deeply from the waist, holding the position for several seconds before straightening and speaking. He kept his eyes downcast as was appropriate for a mortal when facing a god. He didn’t need to do that now for any god but he likely didn’t know that. It was also a very pleasing show of respect towards Rai-Sui which reflected well on me.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Lord Rai-Sui. Yes, it is a recent development. Lord Saraf gave me his god-mark last night. I wear it with honour and pride.”

“I look forward to getting to know you better, Geomancer Edenlei. Despite the long interval between recent visits, Saraf is one of my favourite gods,” Rai-Sui’s expression turned serious as he gestured to Botam. “I had no idea this one was yours, Saraf. He’s never breathed a word of that in his prayers to me for power over the dead.”

Botam stared at Rai-Sui in horror that I was fairly sure had more to do with seeing the God of Death and Decay in person than what Rai-Sui looked like or had just said. As someone who was involved in the necromantic arts, Botam would be intimately aware of who stood in front of him even if he hadn’t worshiped Rai-Sui in more than a casual sense. I didn’t doubt for a second that Botam knew why Rai-Sui had put in a personal appearance.

Botam started to speak but Rai-Sui laid a finger over Botam’s lips, a soft “shhh” coming from him, and Botam was rendered silent. Botam still struggled to say something without success. There was nothing Botam could say or do to either prolong his life or prevent his soul from being taken away by Rai-Sui. Undoubtedly Rai-Sui didn’t want to hear any of whatever Botam might try to say. Rai-Sui had probably heard every plea and bargain in the world from countless people and I highly doubted Botam could say anything to change his outcome.

“Was is the key word there, Rai-Sui. Although, I suppose it is true that he is still technically one of mine since he never renounced me despite all that he’s done. He perverted my faith to be what he believed was the path it needed to take in direct contradiction to my Will. He believed he knew better than me the course my faith should follow.

“He hasn’t truly been one of mine for centuries. I’ve now withdrawn my divine power from him and additionally burned away the connection he had to his servants. He was using them to drain their life force and any power they may have had to prolong his life and gain yet more power. I assume you’re here to personally take Botam’s soul to judgement.”

Rai-Sui nodded. “His life force is finally dwindling and his body is deep into decay as he now lacks the power to keep that at bay. Unfortunately, his soul is also suffering from advanced decay because of his past actions with necromancy. One cannot steal bits and pieces of the souls of others to try to stave off the decay of the body as he did without expecting unpleasant consequences to ones own soul when final payment comes due for the actions that individual has taken over the course of their life.

“His soul will not be able to regenerate even under my direct care as the decay is simply too far gone. That is regrettable as all souls are precious and there are a finite number of them at any one time. Truthfully though, it’s probably for the best that his soul is beyond even my aid. He knew his actions were wrong and yet he did them anyway.”

“Do you have to take his soul right away? He has done me a great wrong and I want him to suffer for his actions as well as serve as a warning to any of my other Chosen that may think they know better than I do about the direction my faith is to take.”

Rai-Sui looked thoughtful for almost a full minute before speaking. “I can slow the rate of decay of his flesh to extend his suffering if you wish. That is a simple thing for me to do. His soul is decaying at a vastly slower rate than his flesh as the soul is a much more resilient thing than the fragile body that houses it. I will need to take his soul when his body succumbs to the decay but I can keep that final moment from happening for another... four days. Is that acceptable, Saraf? Any longer and his soul could begin to taint others as he tries to sustain it. That I cannot allow.”

“Understood. I appreciate the favour, Rai-Sui. If I can do something for you in return, please don’t hesitate to ask.”

Rai-Sui inclined his head and stared briefly at Botam. I didn’t see anything happen but felt the briefest flicker of divine power and knew Rai-Sui had just done what he said he would to stretch out Botam’s suffering. Botam must’ve sensed something as well because his eyes went wide and his mouth opened and closed repeatedly without a single sound escaping his lips. Fear and despair filled his eyes along with a chaser of pain. I was sure his body was continuing to rot as Rai-Sui said it would but it looked like the process had stopped to me.

“Well, since you’re offering to return the favour, you do know that I covet that Conquer set of yours. You know the one I mean. It has the board squares made of ivory and jet, bound in rose gold with the individual pieces of sapphires, rubies, emeralds, pearls and brown diamonds and the score markers of black and white opals. Give me the set and I’ll consider us even.”

That seemed like a rather small price to me, despite how lovely the game board and pieces were, but I wasn’t going to complain. I still pretended to think it over as I had a reputation to uphold as a dragon with a hoard I was loathe to lose anything from. Edenlei gave me a little nudge in the side with his elbow and mentally told me to take the deal. I hid my smile as I nodded at Rai-Sui.

“If that’s your price, then you may have the game board and all attendant pieces that go with it. I have some other members of my Chosen that need to be dealt with before I can head back to my seat otherwise I’d invite you back with Edenlei and I. We could’ve finished off that game before you took the board with you.”

“I can wait. I don’t think it’ll take me long to put you in a position where you’ll need to concede the game to me and it would be nice to wrap that game up before I take the board with me. Perhaps a dozen moves should see me with victory. I don’t have anything terribly pressing at the moment now that this one’s fate has been taken care of,” Rai-Sui said as he gestured at Botam.

“Mkhai asked me to stop by his current location as he wanted to discuss something with me. He’s in the midst of a war somewhere so I need to wait on his calling me when he’s free. The timing of that will depended on how things go on the battlefield.”

“He does enjoy his work,” I said with a chuckle. In addition to Mkhai being the God of Warfare & Weaponry, he was also the Supreme Commander of the Immortal Army. “Who is he waging battle against now?”

“Indeed he does,” agreed Rai-Sui. “I’m not sure exactly. I think he said something about being sent to remind a demi-god and the army she raised that she wasn’t a god in full. The Great-Father was highly annoyed by this foolish demi-god and wanted a particularly painful lesson taught. Mkhai said it would be a good training exercise for some of the newest members of the Army.”

I nodded. Fighting a demi-god and her army would likely be extremely difficult if not impossible to defeat unless the army on the other side of the field was of the same calibre or lead by a god. The demi-god Mkhai was going up against was in for a world of hurt. Warfare was not only what Mkhai did but was what he was. I would go so far as to say he was an artist on the battlefield and to watch him fight was to see pure deadly poetry in motion.

Edenlei seemed to fidget a little beside me as Rai-Sui and I spoke, which was odd. I doubted he felt cowed by being in the presence of another god. That wasn’t the sense I got from him. He refused to respond to my mental question asking if there was something wrong. He inhaled and squared his shoulders before addressing Rai-Sui during a break in our conversation. What he was up to, I had no idea as he wasn’t sharing that with me and despite our ability to communicate mentally with each other, I couldn’t read his mind.

“Excuse me, Lord Rai-Sui, with you being the God of Death and Decay, would you be able to easily detect or perhaps find is a better word choice, scrolls that have been tainted by the necromantic magic Botam used? He changed some of our holy texts to read what he felt they should’ve said. I could go through the texts one by one to find the ones changed simply by the feel of them but it seems a rather laborious process. Even though a fair portion of the holy texts were lost when we had to flee our previous island during the eruption, we still managed to save several thousands of scrolls and books.

“While I have great faith in my fellow Chosen, I’m not sure they would be able to find the texts corrupted by Botam as nobody else seems to have noticed the faint trace of necromantic magic clinging to the scrolls. To be fair, I never noticed it either when I studied them and think I can only sense it now because of my god-mark.

“I believe we should tackle this issue as soon as possible now that we know there is a problem with the scrolls. I think it might take too long to train enough of the Chosen to detect the very subtle magic used and the last thing I want to see is Lord Saraf’s faith continue on the path it was never meant to travel for anything longer than it needs to. Especially since that path was one directed by Botam,” Edenlei said.

Rai-Sui nodded. “Yes, I can do that. What sort of exchange do you offer me for doing this?”

Edenlei looked surprised at Rai-Sui’s request for compensation and I hid my smile not wanting to fan the embers of his anger with me. Gods typically didn’t put themselves out for anyone even if the one asking was family, more or less. Finding the changed scrolls was entirely my problem as far as Rai-Sui or any other gods would see it.

Edenlei wouldn’t have known that though. Details about how us gods interacted with each other generally weren’t known to mortals and despite the position Edenlei now held, he had been mortal up until last evening. There was going to be a lot of things he’d need to learn fairly quickly concerning us gods.

“I’m afraid I’m at a distinct disadvantage here as far as making a deal for services rendered. I have nothing that could possibly interest a god. My personal possessions are meager to say the least because of that whole fleeing from an erupting volcano thing a few weeks ago. I can’t sing, paint, sculpt, compose poetry, bake or do anything I think would be of any value to a god in exchange for your help,” Edenlei said with a frown.

My Pearl vastly underestimated himself and his talents. He had a wondrous gift that any god would appreciate although perhaps he didn’t see it that way. “Find something suitable as an offering for Rai-Sui and give that to him in exchange. Would that be acceptable, Rai-Sui?”

Rai-Sui looked intrigued by the idea. “Interesting suggestion, Saraf. Alright, give me something you think I would accept as an offering, Geomancer Edenlei, and if I find it worthy, I’ll find all the tainted scrolls for you today.”

Edenlei glanced at me. “You want me to do this now?”

“You can do that while I mete out the punishment to my wayward Priests. I’ll likely be done before you,” I said.

Edenlei bit his lip in indecision. “But I’ll need to pray to Lord Rai-Sui to guide my hand to find that which he desires. That doesn’t seem right. I don’t want to be unfaithful to you in any way, Lord Saraf.”

“You’re not, my Pearl. You’d be praying to Rai-Sui to gain his help for my faith. You do this for me, with my full knowledge and permission. I have never and will never doubt your faith and devotion to me,” I said as I kissed Edenlei on the forehead.

_“As long as you know my heart and my faith belongs only to you,”_ Edenlei said softly in my head.

_“And I am forever humbled and grateful for that gift,”_ I replied.

Edenlei nodded, sank to his knees and bowed his head in prayer. I couldn’t hear what the prayer was as it wasn’t directed at me. I wasn’t expecting the sharp jab of jealousy when I saw that Rai-Sui was receiving Edenlei’s prayer. It was short and Rai-Sui smiled a little as Edenlei finished his prayer and stood. Edenlei’s eyes looked unfocused for several seconds before he turned to me, said he’d be back shortly and walked out of the temple without another word.

“He’s refreshing. His soul is quite pure. Very old but pure nonetheless. You’ve found yourself a very good partner in him, Saraf,” Rai-Sui said with a smile. “I’m intensely curious to see what he brings me as an offering.”

“You won’t know that you wanted what he gives you until he places it in your hand. It’s an odd talent to have but I’m pleased to be the one to benefit from it.”

“I suppose he still doesn’t realize that all that is yours is also his now? He could’ve offered me all manner of things. Jewels, fabrics, works of art, anything from your hoard really and yet he never even thought of turning to you and saying to give me whatever I asked for, did he?”

“No, he didn’t. He was the one asking for the favour so to him, he was the one that needed to pay the price. I do realize how fortunate I am to have him as mine. If you’ll excuse me for a few moments, I need to deal some punishment to the Priests that followed Botam’s lead even though they certainly knew better.”

Rai-Sui nodded, materialized a seat for himself and settled in to watch. I turned to look at the three Priests, ignoring Botam completely. In my mind, he’d already been dealt with and required nothing further from me. I was thankful that Rai-Sui had the forethought to silence him as Botam was still trying to say something. The three Priests were rightly terrified of what was going to happen to them. It was going to be both punishment and vengeance for their wrongs done to my faith.

“For knowingly defying my Will and throwing the mercy I’d once showed you back at me, you three Priests, Keahi, Vanida and Delshad, will die. Once before I scorched away the ones who began to pervert my faith into something other than what I set out for it to be. I’d hoped that by sparing your lives, you’d take heed and do your best to keep my faith travelling down the path I determined. All three of you made the choice to continue pushing my faith in a way you knew I didn’t want or approve of.

“I do not control the choices my worshipers make as that is not what I want from those that place their faith in me. With those choices, you must shoulder the responsibility of those actions be they good or bad. All of my faithful, highest of my Chosen to occasional worshiper, have free will to decide what they do and how they act toward me and my faith.

“Priest Keahi, for your role in turning my faith from what I intended and showing no remorse for your actions, you will be consumed from within by the primal flame for no less than four days. Priest Vanida, for your role in turning my faith away from the path I set for it, you will be consumed from within by the primal flame for no less than three days. Priest Delshad, for your role in supporting Priests Keahi and Vanida’s perversion of my faith, you will be consumed from within by the primal flame for no less than two days. This is my Will as Lord Saraf, God of Primal Flame and Lord of Metallic Dragons.”

There were gasps of shock and horror that rippled through my Chosen. To be burned by the primal flame was to be burned by a fire that only I could extinguish. To burn continuously from the inside for days would be unimaginably painful and torturous. I highly doubted that there would be further repeats of what Keahi, Vanida, Delshad and most especially Botam, had tried to do.

I was setting up a very vivid, powerful message to my Chosen. It would be something not forgotten any time soon. I probably could’ve avoided the entire current situation if I’d done something similar the first time instead of quietly burning out the renegades centuries earlier. Life, even for a god, was a constant learning experience.

I separated the three Priests from each other, keeping each of them within their own fire bubble. I gestured, purely for theatrics, and white-hot flames shot up from the floor under the bubbles, sliding like liquid over the surface of the bubble towards the top. Once at the top, the flames pushed through the bubble and poured over the Priests, coating their skin but not burning them.

“Your punishment begins now,” I said and clenched my fist.

The flames on the Priests skin melted into them and vanished. For several seconds it appeared that nothing happened until they began to scream and thin streams of smoke curled and twisted from their eyes, noses, ears and mouths. The scent of cooking meat began to waft through the room. I heard the sounds of several people retching and could smell the odour of fear beginning to form in the hall. A gesture from me had the smell of roasting flesh and sounds of agony from the Priests abruptly cut off although it was easy to see that their suffering was by no means over.

“They are here on display along with Botam to remind all of you that while I am most often merciful to those serving me in my faith, I do have limits to my patience and goodwill. Every hour on the hour you will be able to briefly hear the screams and smell the burning flesh of these Priests as a reminder of what they are enduring for their desecration of my faith. And simply because you are not in the prayer hall doesn’t mean you will not hear and smell what’s happening. Every one of my Chosen will hear and smell the suffering of these Priests at the beginning of morning, afternoon and evening prayers regardless of where you may be.

“I will return when it is time for Priest Delshad to be released into death and end his suffering. I’d advise against getting too close to the flame bubbles. Touch them and you will be burned to the bone despite any protective magic you may use. Try to quench the flames and you’ll share the same fate as the Priests trapped in the bubbles. Try to end their lives earlier in any way, as futile as that would be, and you’ll feel the same searing agony as they suffer right now before you die moments later. This is my judgement of punishment upon them and none are to interfere or you will share their suffering.”

I scanned the prayer hall and noted that none of my Chosen seemed inclined to challenge my wrath by disobeying me. Good. I didn’t like to punish my faithful but sometimes it was necessary and I wouldn’t shy away from doing what needed to be done. Mercy was not to be confused with a lack of will to do what needed to be done.

“Go back to your previous business or stay and watch these people suffer. The decision is yours. Whatever you choose, do not forget what I am owed as your god. I expect to hear your prayers this evening and I will know if any one of you shirk that duty. There are also several of you that have not delivered offerings to me this week. I do not ask for extravagant or priceless things. All I ask is for offerings given in faith and love. If you feel that is too much to ask then perhaps being in my service is not where you are meant to be.”

I faced Rai-Sui again. “I need to speak with some of my Elder Chosen. I don’t think it’ll take long. At least it had better not. Edenlei said he’d be back shortly, too. Once he’s back and gives you whatever he’s found for you, we’ll go back to my seat, finish that Conquer game and maybe have an early supper. Unless you had other dinner plans?”

“That’s fine, Saraf. I can receive prayers while I wait. I hadn’t even thought about supper yet so I’m completely open on that. I’ve also got a rather troublesome soul to deal with that seems to need constant attention and its being rather... talkative at the moment. I need to fix that,” Rai-Sui said with a small sigh.

I nodded. A thought had one of my Chosen appear directly before us. Fanji’s eyes were wide and he immediately dropped to his knees and bowed his head in deference to being in the presence of two gods. I knew I’d just frightened him by bringing him in front of me but I had a few more things to see to and Edenlei thought very highly of the man as one of my Chosen. This would be a small test to see if Edenlei’s opinion of Fanji as a good and pious servant of mine was well-placed.

“Priest Fanji, Geomancer Edenlei speaks highly of you both as a friend and as one of my Priests. See to the needs of Lord Rai-Sui while I’m directing my Elder Chosen.”

“It is my honour and as you Will it, Lord Saraf,” Fanji said his voice even and respectful with just the right touch of awe to please a god.

I nodded at Rai-Sui before transporting myself and all my Elder Chosen to the chamber I’d been in earlier when I found out just how crooked the path of my faith had become and who was ultimately to blame for that. Undoubtedly there would be some resistance from the Elder Priests over having to share power equally with the Geomancers and Clerics but that was my Will and any who resisted doing as I demanded of my faith would simply turn to ash. My patience was not to be tested today after everything that had already happened.


	15. Chapter 15

** Chapter 15 **

~Edenlei~

It was a very, very weird feeling to pray to a god that wasn’t Saraf. I knew I hadn’t done anything wrong. Saraf himself told me to do it and he’d been standing right beside me. Still, it made me vaguely uncomfortable but a little excited at the same time, which was so very confusing. I sort of felt like I’d stripped naked in front of Lord Rai-Sui and displayed myself lewdly for him to examine and decide if he wanted to sample what I offered.

Lord Rai-Sui hadn’t done a single inappropriate thing during my short prayer to him. He hadn’t laid so much as a single finger on me yet I now felt like he knew me on a very private, soul-deep level. I suppose that was likely connected to him being the Guardian of Souls and I probably should’ve expected something like that, but it was still a bit unnerving to have that happen.

I didn’t need to go far from our slowly developing new city to find what I was after as an offering to Lord Rai-Sui. The plant I wanted was fairly common in a very specific area of our new island home but completely new to us. One of the Clerics had discovered it while searching for items to re-stock our healing supplies. The plant generally looked like a fist-sized ball of dried, gnarled twigs that was very, very dead.

Only it wasn’t.

The plant, when given even a rather small amount of water, would quickly become lush and green again, unfurling and giving off a simply wondrous aroma of delicate florals mixed with the fresh scent of a rain-washed forest. If the plant remained watered for longer than twenty-four hours, pretty, tiny purple and blue flowers burst into life in the center of the plant. The flowers could be eaten and had a light but tart flavour. The flowers turned out to be a rather powerful relaxant and pain reliever. The plant didn’t seem to grow quickly but we’d only discovered it a short time ago so couldn’t say for certain. We did discover that if the water was taken away, the plant dried up again into its dead-looking state but would revive over and over again if given water.

I thought it was the perfect thing to give to a god associated with death, decay and quite possibly some aspects of re-birth.

My offering to Lord Rai-Sui in-hand, I headed back to the temple and entered the prayer hall. Most of the Chosen seemed to have left the large room and of the few that I did see, they appeared to be staring with a sort of horrified fascination at the dais and what was on display there. Saraf wasn’t in the room but he was in the temple. I could feel him nearby, the sense of his power, even banked, comforting and mildly arousing to me.

Lord Rai-Sui was seated on something that looked very much like a throne near the dais and I wondered where that had come from. I didn’t know of every piece of furniture in the temple, but something that beautifully crafted would’ve caused comment amongst the Chosen. I was a little surprised to see Fanji attending Lord Rai-Sui but I was also happy for him that he’d been given that task.

I highly doubted it was a coincidence that out of all the possible Chosen that could’ve been told to attend Lord Rai-Sui, Fanji had been given the job. I hoped that there were going to be more responsibilities within the Priesthood laid on his shoulders in recognition of his skills. Fanji was a good man, devoted to Saraf and, in my opinion, an excellent example of what the Chosen of Saraf should be like.

Botam remained where I’d trapped him although I certainly hadn’t expected him to move given how much stone I’d accidentally used to hold him in place. The three Elder Priests that Saraf was going to punish were each held in separate fiery bubbles off to the side and slightly away from the dais. At first I thought they hadn’t received their punishment and were simply trying to get out of the bubbles since Saraf wasn’t in the room. It became soon became obvious that wasn’t the case at all. They were screaming soundlessly and beating their fists against the bubble wall as dark grey smoke flowed from their eyes, ears, noses and mouths. Whatever it was that Saraf had set up as their punishment, he’d obviously done it while I was gone and it looked supremely painful.

I didn’t feel a single drop of pity for the three Priests. They’d been granted Saraf’s mercy once before and chose to ignore the gift given. That was simply stupid in my mind. Gods had a large reputation for laying a devastating smiting on not only those that angered them, but on those around the ones that deserved a god’s anger, catching innocents in the raging godly flames of wrath. I also didn’t like any of the three Priests on a personal level.

I approached the throne-like seat that Lord Rai-Sui sat on and went down on my knees, my head bowed, offering him the plant with outstretched hands. Silence stretched out for several long seconds and I risked a look up at Lord Rai-Sui. He had a slightly puzzled look on his face as he stared at the dried ball of twigs in my hand.

“Geomancer Edenlei I know that you’re not used to giving things to gods other than Saraf. I appreciate the effort you made to find something pleasing to me but I’m not sure why you thought I’d want a handful of dead twigs,” Lord Rai-Sui said in a gentle voice. “Yes, I am the God of Death and Decay but I’m not in the habit of accepting offerings of dead things.”

The heat of a blush crawled up my throat and into my cheeks. Fanji snickered very softly and I resisted the urge to glare at him. I was never going to hear the end of his teasing over this. I was so used to Saraf simply accepting whatever I gave him without question because he knew whatever I gave him would be something he’d like regardless of how odd it might seem initially. I didn’t stop to think what my offering to Rai-Sui would look like at first glance, especially if he was unfamiliar with the plant.

“Begging your pardon, Lord Rai-Sui. This isn’t quite what it seems and I’m certain you’ll appreciate it once I show you what it is. I could be wrong but I think that you have some connection to aspects of rebirth as well as death and decay. Allow me to show you why I think you’ll want this,” I said.

At his nod I called forth what I hoped would be a very light sprinkling of water over the plant, just enough to make it come alive again. I frowned and muttered a few swear words under my breath when I ended up getting my pants and the bottom edge of my tunic uncomfortably damp with the cool water I’d called forth. I’d pretty much soaked the plant and fat drops of water continued to drip steadily from my hands onto the floor, forming a small puddle that crept towards my knees. I sighed softly when the edge of the puddle made contact with the fabric of my pants making the dampness of my pants edge into actually wet territory as the cloth wicked the water up.

My ridiculously high power level was starting to severely annoy me when it seemed like I couldn’t even do the most basic of geomancing without utterly overdoing it despite scaling back the power I used to what I thought was beyond minimal. At least I had managed to get most of the water on the plant instead of on me, or worse, on Lord Rai-Sui. Fanji tried to hide his chuckle with a very unconvincing cough and I shot him a narrow-eyed glare.

Lord Rai-Sui looked at the plant patiently but I could see in his expression that he was indulging me now. Thankfully, the plant didn’t take long to begin to unfurl. The movement was very small at first and could’ve been explained with my jiggling the plant accidently. However, when green started to appear among the grey-brown twigs, Rai-Sui’s expression showed a little surprise quickly followed by intrigue. He said nothing as he watched the plant seem to come to life in my hands, the leaves opening and becoming a vibrant green.

“I assume that you’re not causing the plant to resurrect, Geomancer Edenlei?” Lord Rai-Sui asked.

“No, Lord Rai-Sui. Giving the plant water, even in much smaller amounts, brings it back to life as you see it. If you keep the plant damp or with a constant supply of water for twenty-four hours, it’ll produce tiny purple and blue flowers in the center. They smell very nice and you can eat them as well. I’d advise caution on that though as the flowers have strong relaxing and pain relieving properties. At least they do for Fire Elves. I have no idea what the effect, if any, on a god would be. If you take away the water, the plant will revert to the dried twigs you first saw. You can do this indefinitely as far as we’ve been able to tell, although we’ve only known about this plant for a short time so take that with a grain of salt.”

Lord Rai-Sui lifted the plant from my hands and turned it this way and that, examining it. He smiled as he gently stroked a finger over the leaves. Fanji gave me a subtle thumbs up gesture from a little behind Lord Rai-Sui. I held back the quiet snort I wanted to make at that. I’d known I’d be able to find something Lord Rai-Sui would like after I said the prayer to him. But I appreciated the gesture by Fanji and his subtle support of me.

“This is very interesting, Geomancer Edenlei. I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything quite like this. I accept your offering. I’ll find all the tainted scrolls for you before we leave the temple today. Where did you get this intriguing plant?” Lord Rai-Sui asked.

Pride rushed through me at Lord Rai-Sui’s acceptance of my offering. It wasn’t simply because that meant he’d find the tainted scrolls in likely a fraction of the time it would take me. I was proud of myself for finding something that would please a god that wasn’t my god. I was pretty sure I’d be able to do that but it was nice to have confirmation.

“There’s an area not far from the edge of the city that is mostly black sand and old lava flows. The ground is very hot there as the lava isn’t that far from the surface. Nothing but this plant lives in that area. One of the Clerics discovered the plant when she was trying to beat a rain storm home. She was caught in the lava field when the rain hit and says she just stared in amazement as all around her the things that she thought were just dried twigs opened up and turned green. She named it the dead-life plant.”

Rai-Sui studied the plant a few more minutes before it suddenly disappeared from his hand and he rose from his throne-like seat. “I assume you’d like those scrolls found as soon as possible. I see no reason why I can’t do that now while we wait for Saraf to finish with his Elder Chosen. If you would take me to the scrolls, Geomancer Edenlei.”

I nodded, stood and headed out of the prayer hall grabbing Fanji’s hand and pulling him along with me as I moved past him. Saraf had given the task of seeing to Rai-Sui to Fanji and I wasn’t about to release him from what Saraf had commanded by leaving Fanji behind. I wanted Fanji to make the best possible impression on Saraf. I’d be failing my best friend if I didn’t do everything I could to help him. Rai-Sui followed along behind us.

We arrived at the doors to the chamber containing the holy scrolls and entered. It was a large room that was currently only half filled with holy texts. We were in the process of filling the room once again with the holy texts by having Elder Priests dictate from memory the destroyed scrolls to alycotes to be transcribed into new scrolls. However, given the issue of tainted scrolls, it would probably be best if that was halted and we simply asked Saraf to provide us with the originals so we could properly copy them to read as Saraf had intended. I didn’t see a problem with that. The original texts had to be in Saraf’s library.

Generally, I’d need to request a Priest to fetch me the holiest of holy scrolls I wanted to see, Priests being the only ones allowed into the smaller room that held the original texts. That didn’t look like it was going to be an issue now though. Matter of fact, the older Priest sitting at the desk in front of the door leading to the room with the texts we needed to examine looked like he was about to hurt himself with all the bowing he was suddenly doing.

Fanji was biting his lip to keep from laughing at the man and I had to admit to a certain sense of perverse satisfaction in seeing the pompous Priest nearly grovelling. Fine, it had more to do with Rai-Sui standing next to me than my newly elevated status. It was still satisfying given my previous encounters with the Priest and his holier-than-thou attitude when he looked at me before.

“Lord Rai-Sui has agreed to examine the holy scrolls for traces of necromantic taint. Lord Saraf wants that foulness gone from the holy words as soon as possible so His faith can be set once more down the path He intended it to travel. Let us in the room so we can begin that work,” I said.

The Priest bobbed his head at me and hurried to open the heavy door to the room beyond his desk. He stepped back from the entryway and kept his eyes firmly downcast. Fanji led the way into the room with Rai-Sui following and my bringing up the rear. There were a few alycotes in the room working on transcribing the words spoken by Elder Priests onto new scrolls and they looked up as we entered. The low murmur of voices stopped abruptly and heads bowed immediately when Rai-Sui was spotted.

“What, if anything, do you need from us, Lord Rai-Sui?” I asked.

Rai-Sui scanned the room, his gaze lingering here and there for a few seconds. He sighed softly and I doubted that was a good sign.

“There is a heavy feel of decay to this entire room. If this was the original temple, I’d say that the necrotic taint had lightly seeped into the stone over the centuries of close contact with the scrolls that are compromised. However, this is far too new a structure for that to have happened. That leads me to believe that the amount of scrolls and books unaffected will be very small. I can still check every item here if you wish, Geomancer Edenlei, but I’d recommend burning the lot and starting fresh. Saraf will have the original texts in his library and it would be a much simpler and efficient task to borrow those and copy them,” Rai-Sui said.

It was my turn to sigh. I’d hoped it was only the major holy texts that were affected but if nearly everything in the room was touched by decay, Rai-Sui was right that it would be better to destroy everything and start fresh. That wasn’t a decision I could make though. Purposefully destroying holy texts required permission that I had no power to give regardless of my status as Saraf’s husband.

_“Saraf, Lord Rai-Sui says that the amount of holy text unaffected by decay is very small. He’s recommending burning everything and making fresh copies from the texts in your library. He said he can still check every scroll and book in the room to identify any untainted ones if you want him to but the number of untainted ones would probably not be worth the effort._

_“I can’t give the order to destroy holy texts. I’m not even sure Rhyolite Caylissa can give the order without some kind of consultation with the other Elder Priests and perhaps a vote to decide if that’s truly the necessary course of action. To the best of my knowledge, this has never been an issue before. I assume you’re busy with those Elder Priests right now and I hate to interrupt you, but I believe it’s important we get this settled quickly. Obviously, if you say the texts are to be destroyed, then it will happen without further discourse,”_ I said.

_“I’m nearly done instructing the Elder Priests on what I want done to restore my Faith so you’re not interrupting, Edenlei. Don’t have Rai-Sui check the texts more than he already has. There’s no point. If he says almost everything in that room is tainted, then it is. I’ll be there shortly and will take care of the destruction of those abominations of my Word myself,”_ Saraf said irritation in his voice.

“I’ve informed Lord Saraf what you said about the tainted texts, Lord Rai-Sui. He said not to bother examining anything else. He’ll destroy the... abominations of his Word himself. He said he was nearly finished with the Elder Priests and will join us shortly.”

Gasps sounded around the room as Rai-Sui nodded. Fanji stared at me with wide eyes for several seconds before he seemed to pull himself together.

“Lord Saraf will give us his Words again?” Fanji asked in a voice that I thought was a touch louder than it needed to be.

“I would assume so,” I said with a little nod. “Lord Saraf is very angry over his faith being turned from how he set it out but he knows that the majority of his Chosen had no idea that was what was happening. He will not leave us without his Words to guide us. There will be a lot of work ahead of us not only to copy his unaltered Word but to study and learn what we were originally to know. Did you know that Lord Saraf can become an actual dragon?”

Fanji gaped at me and murmurs of disbelief sounded around the room. I probably had a look of awe on my face as I described Saraf in his dragon form to Fanji. I didn’t think I’d ever get tired of seeing Saraf in all his draconic glory. I still wanted to touch Saraf’s cock when he was in that form to see what it felt like but I felt a little weird about bringing it up to Saraf. I mean, it had to be seven kinds of deviant behaviour to want to touch and rub my body against his dragon cock because I thought it would be arousing, didn’t it?

“You did not know this about Saraf?” Rai-Sui asked with surprise in his voice. Both Fanji and I shook our heads. “It would seem there is much work to be done for Saraf to set his House in order. I do not envy him that.”

Saraf appeared out of thin air making several of the Priests closest to us startle before they hurriedly bowed. He glanced around the room and with a flick of his fingers, the Priests vanished except for Fanji. I clearly heard Fanji swallow hard but he remained standing, waiting for whatever Saraf asked of him.

“Priest Fanji, speak to the one who controls entrance to this room. Find out if any of the scrolls or books that are normally in here are loaned out to anyone right now. If there are texts that belong in this room that are not here, get them. Now. Have the scrolls brought outside to the entrance of the prayer hall and pile them on the ground,” Saraf commanded.

Fanji bowed. “As you Will it, Lord Saraf.” He turned and left quickly, the sounds of him relaying what Saraf said to the Priest on door duty, muted.

“What are you up to, Saraf?” asked Rai-Sui.

“Making an impression on my Chosen that won’t soon be forgotten as it appears some of the things of my dogma have been. Although, truthfully, forgotten isn’t quite right. Purposefully erased is the correct term and I’m not pleased over that,” Saraf said as he reached for my hand and clasped it.

“What was erased that has gotten your ire up?” Rai-Sui asked curiously.

“That I am a dragon as well as a god and that my dragon side is just as important as my god side. Join me at the entrance to my prayer hall and you can watch the spectacle for yourself,” Saraf said with a grin seconds before we left the room filled with holy texts to appear in the warm sunshine at the entrance to the prayer hall.

I wasn’t sure I’d ever get used that that instant move from one location to another thing. It was amazing but a little unnerving at the same time. Piled in the front square of the prayer hall were what I was sure were all the holy texts that had been in the room we’d just left. Ringing the large open area were also all the Chosen of Saraf. Every single one of them that I could see looked bewildered and a little afraid to have been plucked from wherever they’d been once again and brought where Saraf willed it.

Priests, Clerics and Geomancers hurried out of the temple with whatever scrolls or books they’d borrowed from the holy library. Most seemed reluctant to add willy-nilly the Words of Saraf they’d been studying to the sizable pile. It made me proud that they tried to place the works respectfully and appeared to be mildly upset to have the scrolls and books dumped in a jumbled pile even if it was at the command of Saraf himself.

I knew Saraf could’ve simply had all the texts appear in the growing pile without his Chosen personally bringing them but he obviously had some sort of plan going on. After several minutes of waiting and no more Chosen appearing with his Word, Saraf released my hand and stepped forward.

Saraf gestured and Botam, Keahi, Vanida and Delshad appeared a little off to the side of the entrance. They were all still trapped in their respective prisons. I assumed that Saraf wanted everyone to see what was to come. Botam’s eyes widened as he saw the pile of text and while his mouth opened and closed around words, not a sound of those words escaped his throat. Lord Rai-Sui’s lips, where he had some, twitched upwards in a small smile at Botam’s continued struggle to speak. I, for one, was quite happy not having to hear whatever vileness Botam wanted to say.

“What you see before you are all the holy texts that were saved when you were forced to flee your former home. It would’ve been better had these perversions of my Word gone up in flames then. I am partially to blame for allowing these abominations to continue to exist. I was an absent god for far too long. That will not happen again.

“The texts you see here are tainted with rot and decay. Rai-Sui, God of Death and Decay, has checked them himself. Decay and rot is part of his godhood so when he informed me that almost all of the texts were contaminated by the touch of necromancy, courtesy of Botam no doubt, I made the decision to destroy the texts and start my faithful over again with fresh copies of my Word.”

Saraf moved a little away from me and the crowd of Chosen moved back as if a gentle hand was pushing them away. The small smile on Rai-Sui’s face became a full-blown grin and he actually winked at me. What that meant, I had no clue until Saraf’s clothes vanished and his body started to morph into that of his dragon form. There were startled cries all around me from the Chosen and a few fell to their knees, a look of shock and awe on their faces as Saraf became the dragon he was.

“I am Lord Saraf, God of Primal Flame. I am also Prince Saraf of the Platinum Sun, Lord of Metallic Dragons and a Platinum dragon. That will never again be forgotten by my Chosen,” Saraf said in an ultra deep voice that almost felt like it reverberated in my chest.

Saraf stood on his hind legs, his dragon form towering over not only his Chosen but the actual temple roof as well. His chest expanded and his wings stretched out throwing a blanket of shadow over easily half of the Chosen before him. His head lowered and a great gout of orange flame shot from Saraf’s muzzle. The texts ignited with a soft whump and a wall of heat rolled over me.

Saraf continued to pour orange fire on the texts. The flames consuming his Word turned blue-white from the intensity of the fire. The fire ate through the large pile of books and scrolls in under a minute. Saraf stopped breathing fire and all that was left of the tainted works was a smoking pile of pale grey ash. Saraf dropped to all fours, the ground shaking slightly from the impact. White smoke curled from his nostrils and he swept his gaze over the Chosen staring at him in wonder and probably a little fear.

The display of draconic power had been incredible to see. I also found it arousing. I could feel the level of magic within Saraf in his dragon form much stronger than the first time I’d seen his dragon form and assumed that was because of my now bearing his god-mark. While the feel of his magic as a dragon had a different sensation than the power of his godhood, it was just as thrilling to me. I bit my lower lip lightly and tried to will away the beginning erection forming in my pants. Now was certainly not the time or place to be getting so aroused from the sensation of Saraf’s power.

Saraf’s head snapped to me and he lowered his head, his nose almost touching my semi-hard cock. He inhaled softly and pleasure sparked to life in his eyes. His exhale was gentle but very warm, almost hot, and it made my arousal surge. By the gods, it was so very inappropriate to be getting so hard right now but I couldn’t help myself.

_“You are a wonder, my pearl. Just a few more minutes to deal with my Chosen and then we can go deal with that lovely hardness in your pants.”_

A blush burned across my cheeks. _“Have you forgotten that Lord Rai-Sui is coming back to your seat once you’re done here? And you’re a prince in addition to being a god and Lord of Metallic Dragons? I didn’t know that.”_

_“No, I didn’t forget about Rai-Sui. But he’ll understand when I ask him to come by a little later to get the Conquer board. And while it is my seat of power, it’s also your home now, too, Edenlei, and effectively _our_ seat of power. My father is the King of Metallic Dragons so that makes me a prince although dragons respect the title of Lord of Metallic Dragons more than the title of prince as one is earned while the other is just a matter of parentage.”_

I hadn’t thought about it in that way. Saraf had said his father was the King of Metallic Dragons but I hadn’t made the connection that it would make him a prince. It didn’t change anything for me as far as how I felt about Saraf. He could’ve been nothing more than a mortal man who sold fish on the beach and I’d love him just as much as I did now. It was just kind of neat in a weird way that not only was I bound to a god and a dragon; I was also bound to a prince.

“Rai-Sui, I’d appreciate it if you could drop by later this evening to take your prize. Something has unexpectedly come up and Edenlei and I will not be available until after it’s dealt with. You understand how these things go,” Saraf said before his dragon form flowed back into his man shape and what appeared to be a robe of flames covered his body.

Fanji leaned a little around Lord Rai-Sui, grinned, and gave me a subtle thumbs up. I didn’t doubt for a second that Fanji had a damn good idea about what had suddenly come up that needed taking care of. My blush burned hotter. Lord Rai-Sui’s eyebrow rose before he nodded at Saraf and said he’d be by after supper to pick up the game. He nodded at me and vanished.

“Tomorrow I will return with Edenlei and bring the original Words I had given to my Chosen thousands of years ago. It will be a substantial amount of work to copy it all once more but I’m sure you are all up to the task. It will also require a good deal of studying to learn what has been lost or re-learn certain aspects of my Faith but I have the utmost confidence in all of you. Take this night to reflect on what happened here today and know that I will not allow deviations of my Faith. Discuss my dogma and ask for my guidance if you’re unsure or questioning something. I will hear you and I will answer. I am an absent god no more.”

Saraf waved his hand and Botam and the priests being punished disappeared. I assumed Saraf put them back to the place they’d originally been held. Another casual wave of his hand had the Chosen blink out of sight; presumably back to whatever location they’d been in before Saraf pulled them into attendance for the text burning. Even Fanji was gone and it was just Saraf and I in front of the prayer hall. He took my hand in his and before I could so much as draw a breath, we were no longer standing in the warm sunshine but were instead in a huge cave.

The walls of the cave glittered with veins of gold and soft light refracted off of crystals embedded in the walls. The floor was smooth and polished stone. It was pleasantly warm for such a huge space, likely due to the narrow rivers of lava that ringed the cave. Off in one corner was a massive pile of shiny, glittering objects with shelves above the pile crammed with even more items. It took a moment for me to figure out what I was looking at and I gaped a little when I realized that I was looking at the treasure hoard of a very powerful and probably very old dragon. I knew Saraf was thousands of thousands years old but I never seemed to associate age with him. He just... was.

“Everything here is mine and none can enter this cave or touch anything in here aside from me. And now you. When you made your deal with Rai-Sui to check the texts, you could’ve given him anything from my hoard because it’s yours as well. You are my pearl and whatever is mine is now also yours. Rai-Sui pointed out to me that you probably didn’t realize that, which is why I’m showing it to you now and telling you this. My only condition is that you cannot take the things on these shelves,” Saraf said as he took my hand and drew me to a set of shelves set a little apart from the others.

I gasped softly and my throat felt tight with emotion when I realized what I was looking at. On the shelves were probably almost every offering I’d given to Saraf over the last several years. When compared to some of the works of art I could see on other shelves or the finely woven rugs scattered around the floor or vibrant tapestries hanging on the walls, my found objects seemed to be rather plain and not deserving of such an honour.

“I don’t always keep what I’m given. Gods frequently trade items amongst ourselves and some items like food or drink or songs are time-sensitive or ephemeral so keeping those beyond even a few days is not possible. I’m not sure exactly when I started keeping each offering you gave me. Some I would’ve liked to have kept but the perishable nature of the item made it impossible. These, however, are never to leave here because they are special to me. You gave them to me out of love. Not just as one of my Chosen but as someone who loves me, Saraf.”

“I don’t know what to say, Saraf. Of course I’ll never take them from here if you value them that much. I’m flattered beyond belief that you kept so much of what I’ve given you as offerings.”

“They are love offerings to me from the one I love. There’s no way I’d let them out of my hoard. Now that that’s out of the way, I should also tell you the other reason I brought you here. Or perhaps show you is a better way of putting it,” Saraf said with a grin as he let go of my hand and backed several steps away from me.

His robe of flames snuffed out of existence but before I could really appreciate seeing Saraf nude, he went from man to dragon in an eye blink. A rather aroused dragon if the lovely cock emerging from his body was any indication. The partial erection I’d had at the prayer hall from seeing Saraf in his draconic glory and feeling his power along my senses sprung to full attention so fast it almost hurt. I gave a very unmanly squeak of surprise when my clothes suddenly disappeared and I was standing nude and very aroused in front of Saraf.

“Now about that issue that came up and needs to be dealt with,” Saraf said with a very definite leer on his dragon face as he stared at my erect cock. “You mentioned before that you found my dragon form arousing. The scent of your lust spiking when you saw me after I changed at my temple was one of the most delicious things I’ve ever had the pleasure of smelling. Are you game to try a little dragon loving my sassy Geomancer?”

“I did say I found this form of yours arousing,” I said with a nod and a little lick of my lips. “I stand by my earlier words, too. I’m not sure how we can do much of anything because you’re so large and I’m not but if simply touching each other is all we can do, I have to say I’m pretty excited to do that.”

“Excellent. Obviously there are some limitations as to what we can do together because of our size differences, but I have some ideas that I think you’ll enjoy. I’ve actually been thinking a lot about what we can do as a couple while I’m a dragon. Creative solutions are obviously called for here. Dragons love puzzle solving and it was definitely a bit of a puzzle to figure out what we could enjoy together that would satisfy us both.”

My cock twitched with interest at that. Curiosity mixed with excitement swirled through me as my mind leapt all over the place wondering what Saraf had come up with. Before I could ask Saraf what his ideas were, his head darted forward and he tongued my cock. His tongue was large enough that he also ended up licking the insides of my thighs and my belly on either side of my dick. I laughed at the ticklish feel and started to take a step back only to be stopped by one of Saraf’s large wings curving behind me. My back pressed against the buttery-soft, warm skin of his wing and before I knew what he was up to, he scooped me off my feet with his wing. I was sprawled on my back, my legs slightly spread, exposed to Saraf’s very appreciative gaze. My cock throbbed in excitement.

Saraf gently blew hot breath over my groin and my nipples tightened in response. The tips of his forked tongue wiggled between my legs, teasing and tickling my balls. His tongue was hot, a little raspy and slippery-wet and it took only a few strokes to have me shamelessly spreading my legs further apart for him. Saraf licked my cock and balls, the tips of his forked tongue sometimes slipping behind my balls to tease my hole. The slight raspiness of his tongue was surprisingly erotic, the soft roughness unexpected but wonderful.

_“Pull your legs up, Edenlei,”_ Saraf said, desire making even his mental voice deeper. _“Open and expose yourself to me. Show me your ass and I swear you’ll enjoy the attention I’ve going to give it along with that beautiful erection you have.”_

My belly fluttered with excitement and my cock leaked pre-come at his words. His dragon muzzle wasn’t a good shape for cock sucking in my opinion and his very large, pointy teeth didn’t make me feel very comfortable about sticking some rather sensitive parts in there. His tongue, however, had already proved to be flexible and nimble. If he wanted greater access to my cock and balls to continue licking them, there was no way I’d protest that. A thrill shot through me at the idea of him tonguing my hole as well.

I did as he asked, my breath shuddering out of me as he began delicately licking my cock, balls and my hole. It was a little bit ticklish with the slight raspiness of his tongue but it felt amazing and arousing, too. One of the tips of his tongue pressed into my hole the tiniest bit between swipes of his tongue over my dick. The saliva on Saraf’s tongue felt very slick, almost like oil but thicker.

The very tip of his tongue was easily the width of two fingers and it made me catch my breath in a strange, uncomfortable pleasure as he teased my entrance with tiny thrusts of his tongue. It didn’t hurt but was it was surprising to have something that size eased into my hole right from the start. I gasped in delight when he gently pushed more than just the very tip of his tongue a scant few inches into me.

_“If it gets to be too much, tell me and I’ll stop,”_ Saraf said as he began to move his tongue slowly in and out of my ass.

Each time he pushed back in, he went a tiny bit deeper, thrilling me. The forks of his tongue were wedge-shaped so every deeper thrust, regardless of how shallow it was, was thicker than the last. I knew he was slowly and gently opening me wider with every push of his tongue and it felt incredible. I groaned softly at how good it felt to have Saraf’s dragon tongue fucking my ass. I also adored the kinky-naughty factor of the act. Saraf made pleased sounds in his throat as his tongue-fork pushed deeper into my body with every thrust, opening my ass to him. It was amazing and I adored the way it made me feel.

Saraf’s dragon tongue widened and got thicker as it got closer to where it forked. It was definitely more in girth than his cock as a man and he was very nicely endowed as was befitting a god. Where his tongue forked, it was more in line with the thickness of his forearm with the split parts of his tongue easily sixteen inches long. I’d never be able to take that much into my ass but I was starting to think that it would be incredibly erotic to see how much would fit before I needed him to stop. I’d never thought about something like that before but now it made lust swirl like a whirlwind through me.

I started to feel very full as Saraf slowly pushed more and more of his tongue-fork into me but it was a good, deeply pleasurable fullness that I never would’ve expected to find erotic. Saraf watched me intently as he pushed more of his tongue up my ass while the other forked part of his tongue stroked back and forth over my cock and balls, teasing and arousing me more. I was very tempted to grab my cock and start stroking myself or pinch and tug on my nipples but didn’t. I held off only because I was enjoying the sensation of being stuffed so full, I didn’t want anything to take away my focus on that.

Saraf continued to push more of his tongue-fork into me as he watched me. I was feeling a little uncomfortably full but at the same time I wanted to take more. I wanted to see how far I could go especially since it felt so very, very good to be filled and opened as he was doing to me. His tongue-fork was putting gentle pressure on my prostate, which felt incredibly erotic when combined with the nearly over-stuffed feeling in my ass. I struggled to sit up a little so I could see, more or less, just how much Saraf had managed to push into me; how much I’d allowed him to push into me. I stared with wide eyes in a combination of surprise and pride at what I saw.

I had somehow managed to take roughly twelve inches of dragon tongue up my ass and what was sticking out of me was easily the thickness of my wrist. My cock twitched and the muscles in my ass fluttered in pleasure. Saraf rumbled approval at that and twisted his tongue inside me making me moan in delight. There was a slight rounding to my belly and when Saraf rolled his tongue-fork inside me, I could see a little of that movement against my skin. It strongly reminded me of when I’d seen a babe kicking inside the mother’s womb and it gave me an odd, giddy rush.

“I never dreamed such a thing was possible,” I said a little breathlessly as I rubbed a hand over my belly, enjoying the feeling of my flesh stretched taut around Saraf’s massive dragon tongue. Saraf wriggled his tongue-fork again inside me sending pleasure shivers through my body. His tongue-fork pushed against my hand through the barrier of my skin and I was startled by the intense feeling of connection that created within me.

_“The body is surprisingly flexible and adaptable. Often what you didn’t think is possible actually is. You’re enjoying being filled like this, my pearl?”_ I nodded and moaned softly as Saraf thrust a little more into me. “_So wonderfully surprising,”_ Saraf said desire heavy in his voice.

“I feel really full but it’s good and... I... umm... I think I want more,” I finished in a rush, the heat of a blush colouring my cheeks at saying that out loud.

_“Anything you want, I will do my best to give you, Edenlei. When it’s something we both want, I’ll make sure it happens.”_

I began to pant in excitement when even more of Saraf’s tongue-fork slowly filled my ass. My cock started to throb in time with my heartbeat and the pressure on my prostate was maddeningly arousing in the best possible way. If he kept doing what he was doing, it was almost a guarantee that he’d make me come without stroking my cock. That thought was incredibly arousing and I really hoped it would happen.

Saraf pushed yet more of his tongue-fork into me making my breath shudder out of me on a groan. I was right at the point of telling him to stop because it was too much, but weirdly enough, I didn’t want him to stop either. I wanted him to fill me completely, which was physically impossible but didn’t make me want it any less.

When he began forcefully wriggling his tongue-fork back and forth inside my ass I panted sharply. It felt unbelievably good to be nearly painfully full with his huge tongue stirring up my insides. My muscles suddenly snapped tight as his tongue-fork undulate forcefully over my prostate, the feeling bordering on painful because it was so good. Intense pleasure burst through me and I shouted as my release slammed through me.

Saraf rumbled his pleasure and his tongue-fork continued to press gently on my over-stimulated prostate as my cock spurted over my belly, forcing an even greater amount of seed from me with every pulse. It was too much at the same time that it was perfect which was gloriously arousing. Saraf kept his tongue-fork inside me as my ass clenched and released during orgasm, more sounds of pleasure and lust coming from him. My balls finally emptied and my muscles went limp, my breathing ragged, as I lay sprawled on Saraf’s wing, spitted on his tongue. By all the gods, I’d never felt so deeply sexually satisfied. We so had to do this again some time.

_“Do you want to rest with my tongue inside you for a few minutes? Or is it too much for you and want me to take my tongue from your ass?”_ Saraf asked.

“Let me enjoy the feeling of being so full for a few more minutes, please, if it’s not uncomfortable for you,” I replied as I tried to catch my breath. Oddly, despite the powerful orgasm I’d just had, I was still very aroused.

I rubbed my hand over my slightly distended belly, enjoying the firm feel and knowledge that I had a part of Saraf deep within my body. It was an unexpectedly spiritual feeling for me to be so connected to Saraf. My ass actually gently clenched in pleasure at the idea of offering a prayer to Saraf while being filled so completely by him. I’d need to ask him about the possibility of doing that at some point. I didn’t think it would be blasphemous but I needed to make sure it would be alright with him.

The dragon-tongue fuck had been one of the most intense experiences I’d ever had. I adored it. If I’d been asked a week ago if I’d want to experience getting tongue fucked by a dragon, I’d have been aghast at the very idea. Now, I wanted what I’d just experienced to happen again in the not-so-distant future.

_“I’m fine, my pearl, and it’s no strain to keep my tongue where it is. You did wonderfully and I’m both surprised and delighted that you were able to take as much as you did and enjoyed the act so thoroughly. It opens the door to even more things we can share in bed.”_

That piqued my curiosity but I was too relaxed at the moment to comment on it. I would remember to ask him about what he meant later though. I could’ve lain as I was for longer but that wouldn’t have been fair to Saraf as I could see that he was still hard and hadn’t found his release yet. I reluctantly told him he could withdraw his tongue. He did so with aching slowness that was utterly erotic. I hummed my approval as he lapped up the cooled seed that decorated my belly.

“That was truly amazing,” I said with a slow smile. “I’d very much enjoy doing that again.”

“Yes, it was and I’d love to bring you off that way again. You took far more than I thought you would. Or could for your first time being filled so completely. It was a very unique pleasure to feel you orgasm that way. I also really enjoy seeing your hole open and loose because of me. That’s a dragon thing by the way. After being bred, a female will present herself to her mate for the male to clean her of stray seed and soothe her swollen opening. The visuals and scent of a freshly bred mate help the male to quickly become ready to breed again.”

I blushed at that but liked that he took pleasure in seeing my ass relaxed from his erotic attention. “My Lord, any time you wish to treat me to the pleasures of your dragon tongue is better than fine with me. Well, probably not every night as that was very intense. But I’m definitely of the mind that it should be part of our regular sex life.”

Saraf laughed and nuzzled my chest. I kissed his muzzle and petted what I could reach of him. I felt relaxed and utterly satisfied. I could see part of his cock and it excited me to see him erect and know that it was because of me.

“I’d like to touch your cock while you’re in this form,” I said softly.

“I would love for you to touch my cock while I’m a dragon. I have something I’d like to try with you. Well, two somethings really after that incredibly erotic act we just did. If you don’t want to or it makes you uncomfortable just say so and we can do something else to help me find release.”

I smiled and kissed his muzzle. “I’ve thought about touching your dragon cock since you showed it to me the other night. I’m quite curious as to what you’d like to try. So far, I really like your ideas of how we can enjoy each other while you’re a dragon.”

Saraf chuckled and tipped his wing up. I slid a little down the membrane until my feet touched the smooth stone floor of the cave. Saraf settled himself on his side and watched me walk to his cock. I stood and stared at it for several long seconds. It was easily twice as thick around as my body and a little longer than I was tall. There was absolutely no way I’d ever be able to take any of Saraf’s dragon cock into my body unless I was also a dragon, which was a damn shame. There had to be something that could be done about that.

“Edenlei?” Saraf asked with a little hesitancy in his tone when I didn’t move and just stared in wonder at his cock. “Is something wrong? It’s okay if you’ve changed your mind about touching my cock while I’m a dragon. I’m not going to be upset if that’s the case, honest.”

“No, I haven’t changed my mind. Far from it. I was just thinking what an absolute shame it is that I can’t take even a little of your dragon cock because of our size difference. There has to be something that could be done about that. I know you said there isn’t a spell that you know about to turn me into a dragon even for a short time but new spells get created all the time, don’t they?

“You said dragons love puzzles and coming up with new spells. Since you’re Lord of Metallic Dragons, can you challenge the dragons under your rule or guidance or whatever to come up with a spell that can temporarily transform me into a dragon so we can have that mating flight you told me about. We have all kinds of time for one of them to figure out how to do that although I’m sure we’d both prefer sooner rather than later. We could offer a prize of some kind to the first one who does it.”

I made a startled sound when Saraf scooped me up with his foreleg and licked me from my toes to my lips. I squirmed a little at the ticklish feel and my cock perked up at the heated, wet swipe of his tongue that had so recently brought me intense pleasure.

“You are brilliant, my pearl. Once we’ve had our fun, I’ll send out the challenge. About that fun, sooner really is better as I greatly enjoyed tonguing your hole open and might not be able to last as long as I’d like once we start playing. I’m not even sure the second thing I’d like to try is possible, but if it is, I might not even last long enough to get to it this time.”

That was an intriguing statement. Saraf set me down next to his cock and I wasted no time in getting my hands on it. The golden scales on his cock were much smaller than the scales on the rest of his body, very smooth and highly flexible. His cock also felt a good deal warmer than the rest of him, almost hot to the touch. His dragon body, in general, was significantly warmer than his man body. He made rumbling sounds of approval and encouragement in his throat as I ran my hands over his dick, exploring it. I was not at all surprised to find my own cock rising as I explored his even though my release had been a very short time ago.

Saraf’s dragon cock was shaped differently from the way it looked when he was a man. The head of his dragon cock was more tapered and narrowed than it appeared as a man. It also took me a moment of running my hands over his cock head to realize that he had no foreskin as a dragon. That was interesting as I’d never seen a cock without a foreskin. His cock looked almost muscled in a way with thick bands of ridges down the length. It would probably feel amazing as the pronounced ridges moved in and out of my ass and my nipples tightened to hard points at the idea. His cock thickened near the base giving it a somewhat wedge-shaped look. I ran my hands over his cock, stroking him firmly. Saraf growled low as his massive dick pulsed under my hands.

“If... when we have our mating flight, my cock will swell with a breeding bulb near the base. Once that’s pushed into your ass, it’ll swell further locking us together until the bulb is drained while we glide on thermals. That usually takes about fifteen minutes per breeding session from my understanding of it. The final spurt is thicker and acts as a plug to keep the majority of my seed inside you. The plug doesn’t last long. Two hours at the most, usually less, before it begins to dissolve. As the plug dissolves, I’d stick my tongue into your ass; pull the remnants of the plug free and then mate with you again. A mating flight for dragons usually takes several hours.”

I stared at Saraf. I wanted that. I wanted that with a fiery passion. It sounded unbelievably erotic, intensely kinky and like an incredibly deep bonding experience. “Then I suggest you think of something very, very good for the prize of solving the puzzle of how to temporarily turn me into a dragon so we can do that sooner rather than later. I’d assume the better the prize, the quicker the results.”

Saraf laughed and lightly tongued my now erect cock, his long, sinuous neck easily allowing him to do that.

“As you command, my pearl. Just because there is a significant difference in our sizes doesn’t mean we can’t still enjoy each other’s cocks in different ways. With you hard again as I’d hoped you’d become, I’d like to try something. I’ve played in a similar way as a man so see no reason why it wouldn’t work between us now. Are you game to try a little cock-stuffing, Edenlei? To be clear, you’d be doing the stuffing to me because it is something I enjoy now and again. I think we’d need to work you up to that if you wanted to try it.”

“Cock-stuffing? I’ve never heard of that. What is it?” I asked as I continued to stroke Saraf’s cock with my hands and rub my erection against his. By the gods, it felt amazing to press and rub my dick against his.

“It’s where you insert a thin rod, usually metal and about the same length as your cock, into your piss slit, moving it in and out for sexual pleasure. Essentially, you fuck your cock with the rod.”

I turned my head to stare at Saraf thinking he was joking. I couldn’t quite wrap my head around that idea. It had to hurt to push a metal rod, thin or not, down your cock, didn’t it? How would a rod even fit into a dick unless it was ridiculously thin? But Saraf said he’d played like that and enjoyed it so it had to be true. I highly doubted he’d tease me about something like that especially when he said I’d be the one stuffing him.

“No, I’m not teasing you, Edenlei. It really is a thing that people do. I’ve enjoyed it several times and have a set of Demon-forged rods of various sizes for that specific pleasure. Remind me to show them to you later and how to use them. I’d actually like to try you using them on me sometime. Naturally, I’d show you what to do. I think it’d be an intensely erotic thing for us to share.

“For this idea of mine you’re not going to use a rod to stuff my cock. You’re going to put your dick into mine. Almost like docking but I think it’ll be more intense because you’ll be slipping your dick into mine. Interested? You don’t have to if you feel uncomfortable with the idea. You wouldn’t hurt me either by doing it or refusing to try it.”

“Docking? I thought you said it was called cock-stuffing. Or is this one of those acts that has more than one name? It sounds very naughty and I’ve been finding that I really like the idea of doing naughty things with you.”

Saraf rumbled a laugh and then leered at me. “You’ve been quite adventurous in the short time we’ve shared a bed. Because you’ve been so adventurous, I keep forgetting that your experiences with a lover are limited to me, which I’m ridiculously pleased about.

“Docking is when we press the heads of our cocks together and one of us stretches our foreskin over both cock heads while we jerk off together. It’s extremely intimate and pleasurable to feel your partner’s seed bathing your cockhead in that manner. If you feel very daring, you can also share the insertion of a rod with your partner while docking.”

I stared at Saraf with wide eyes. I had absolutely no idea that people did that or even that such a thing was possible. I thought about what it would look like to do the docking thing with Saraf, minus the rod insertion as I didn’t think I was quite that adventurous—yet— and my dick bobbed up and down in eagerness at the mental image. Saraf was watching me intently and I felt his cock throb under my hand when my dick twitched.

I looked at the size of Saraf’s dragon cock and compared it to my cock and thought that it would probably be fairly easy for him to take something the size of my dick into his piss slit despite the narrower size of his cock head compared to the rest of his dick. It wasn’t that I was lacking in the way of manhood that made me think it was easily possible. I thought I was pretty average in the dick department. It was the fact that his dragon cock was quite literally bigger than I was in both length and girth that made me think he could take my cock into his piss slit without too much effort.

“I’m not fishing for a compliment but would you even feel my cock going into yours? If the rod is typically the length of your dick when you do this as a man, you’ll be getting only seven inches or so into a cock that’s more than six feet long. Wouldn’t that be just the barest of a tease of what you’d normally feel if you were doing this cock-stuffing as a man?”

“I have also played by pushing the talon on one of my fingers into my dick as a man and that’s shorter in length than any of the rods I have. It depends on whether I want a deep invasion or something more teasing. I’ve also never tried any cock-stuffing while in this form so it’s likely that something milder will be just as intense as a full-depth insertion. I also don’t want to orgasm from the stuffing as there’s that other thing I mentioned that I’d like to see if we can try. I’m not going to say what that is as I want to surprise you with it if I happen to last long enough to try it,” Saraf said with a wealth of anticipation in his voice.

Now I was really curious about what that other thing was. So far, I’d had one incredible act I’d had no idea was even possible and I was about to try another that was completely new to me. Logic said whatever final thing Saraf wanted to introduce me to would also be something utterly new to me that I’d probably adore. He seemed to know exactly what naughty buttons in my head to push to give me incredible pleasure.

“Turn and face me for a moment, Edenlei. I’m going to lick your cock so it’ll be slick enough to go into mine. Once you’re nice and wet, kneel at my cock and push yours into mine slowly to start. Don’t be afraid of hurting me. I’ll tell you if I need you to stop or pull out. From there, just start fucking my dick. If you feel like you’re going to come before I ask you to stop, please do it inside my cock. I’m sure that’ll feel mind-blowing.”

Come inside Saraf’s cock? By the sacred flame, that sounded beyond kinky-naughty. I suddenly hoped like hell I could do that before Saraf stopped me to introduce whatever the last bit of fun he had in mind for us.

Saraf lovingly bathed my cock, slicking it with thick, slippery dragon spit. I chuckled a little at the idea that dragon spit seemed to be a pretty darn good lube. Satisfied that my dick was sufficiently coated, he stopped licking my cock and nudged me towards his dick with a gentle push of his muzzle. I knelt at his cock head, gripped the base of my dick and rested the head of it against his slit. I drew in a steadying breath and pushed gently.

There was the barest of resistance at first before my cock head breached his opening. Saraf growled low and pushed his muzzle against my ass, forcing my cock into his slit balls deep in one move far faster than I intended. His throaty moan of pleasure was music to my ears, the heat and tightness of his cock around mine unbelievably good.

“This is worlds better than I thought it would be and you haven’t even started moving yet,” Saraf said in a deep voice heavy with lust. “I don’t think I’m going to be able to take very much fucking before I need to come. I’m too excited from what we did earlier. Get your hips moving, my pearl, before the pleasure of you stuffing my cock overwhelms me.”

I grinned, feeling powerful and massively aroused that I could affect him so deeply before I’d done much of anything. I stroked my hands over his cock head before holding it firmly, pulling back and thrusting my hips forward. Saraf groaned and wriggled the tip of one of his tongue-forks between my legs, sliding a few inches of it into my still loose hole. I gasped in surprised delight at how erotic that was, my lust easily doubling. I was extremely grateful that he had such a long, sinuous neck and could easily reach me to tease my ass while I fucked his cock.

_“You like the feel of me tongue fucking your ass while you fuck my cock?”_ Saraf asked as he pushed more of his tongue-fork into me making me moan and thrust harder into him.

“Gods, yes. This is so... naughty. I love it. It feels amazing to fuck your cock.”

_“Let’s see if I can either make you come or get you right to the edge before I need you to stop.”_

I groaned as Saraf’s tongue-fork began twisting in my ass and pressing rhythmically on my still sensitive prostate as I worked my cock in and out of his piss slit. Lust and the need to find release began to curl through my belly and sink into my balls. I moved my hips faster, my breath starting to come in sharp pants as I quickly moved closer to the pleasure building at the base of my spine.

The inside of Saraf’s cock was hot and seemed to heat even further as I worked my cock in and out. Sweat broke out over my body as the pressure to find release climbed. Saraf suddenly groaned and pulled me from his cock. I started to protest as I’d been so very close to blowing my load but the words died in my throat as I stared at Saraf’s cock.

As my cock left his, a silver-coloured, tube-shaped thing pushed from his piss slit as if chasing my cock. Whatever it was, it was thin in comparison to his dick, maybe not quite as wide around as my forearm at the thickest part where it emerged from Saraf’s dick. The tip of it was quite narrow, no more than three fingers width around. Thick, iridescent liquid dripped from the tip. Whatever it was, when it seemed fully emerged, it was roughly as long as my entire arm from wrist to shoulder. It waved back and forth as it seeking something and for whatever reason; my cock throbbed hard at that.

“Saraf?” I asked as I stared and tried to figure out what I was seeing. “Are you okay? What is that?”

Saraf’s tongue-fork left my ass pulling a sound of protest from me. He stood suddenly, towering over me, his massive cock swaying and seeming to pulse ever so slightly. The shimmery liquid dripped faster from the silver tube and I caught a whiff of a smoky-sweet scent that made my mouth water and my balls feel heavy with seed that needed to be released. He grasped me gently but firmly in one foreclaw around the waist and turned me around so he could look me in the eye. The amount of lust and love in his gaze was staggering and thrilling.

“My inseminator and it deposits my seed as deep as possible into a female to guarantee fertilization. It only extends with a deeply bonded pairing. I wasn’t sure it would since you’re not female and not a dragon but I was hoping it would because of the bond we share and because I view every sex act we do as breeding my mate even though I know logically that I can never actually impregnate you.

“This is the first time I’ve had my inseminator extend. I want, no, I need to breed you, Edenlei. I know you can’t take all of it and I don’t expect you to. I swear I’ll be careful not to hurt you or push more into you than you can take. Your hole is nice and relaxed from taking my tongue-fork earlier so I’m confident you can take a good bit of my inseminator. Do you want to try? I’m not going to be upset if you say no and I’d be more than happy if you just stroked me off.”

My belly did a series of swoopy rolls in excitement and arousal at the idea that there was a very immediate way for me to enjoy Saraf’s dragon cock. I didn’t need to think about it. I nodded my head in agreement before Saraf even finished speaking. I had utter faith in Saraf that he wouldn’t hurt me or push more into me than I could take. Given how much of his tongue-fork had been in my ass and the size of that, I was confident I could handle a good deal of his inseminator.

“Yes, please. I adore the idea of being with you as a dragon. That probably makes me very perverse, but I can’t help the way I feel with you. I want to be with you in all the ways that I can.”

“You are surely the greatest treasure I have, Edenlei,” Saraf said his voice soft with tenderness and love. “You won’t be able to take all of my seed while I’m a dragon. There’ll simply be too much for you to hold within your body.”

My breathing sped up at that. “Then cover me with whatever I can’t take and mark me as yours. I actually kinda like the naughtiness of that idea.”

Saraf’s eyes went wide in surprise before he licked me from toes to lips. “Truly the greatest treasure in all of creation. You own my heart and soul, Edenlei, and I’ll be forever grateful that you gave yourself to me.”

Saraf released me from his hold and settled himself above me. Fat drops of what I assumed was pre-come dripped in a continuous stream from his inseminator.

“Stand with your back to my cock, Edenlei, and bend over. Back slowly onto my inseminator and stop when you need to. You don’t need to move to stimulate it. It’ll undulate within you, pumping my seed into you. When you feel full, move forward off of it.”

“Okay,” I said in a soft voice, excitement making my belly flutter.

I did as Saraf instructed and inched backwards. I started to grope behind me to position his inseminator at my hole but sucked in a surprised breath instead when I felt it slide over my ass cheek and unerringly press against my hole. I backed up a step at a time, slowing taking what I could into my body. The inseminator wiggled in my ass, teasing and delighting me. I was starting to feel very full but I wanted to see how much I could take before stopping.

“Edenlei, enough. Don’t try and take more than you can comfortably bear,” Saraf said in a tight voice.

“I’m okay for a bit more. I want to see how much I can handle. How much is inside me? I can’t see.”

“Half. By the gods, half. I’m going to start coming in the next minute. I’ve been trying to hold back for you but it’s just too good a feeling.”

A ridiculous sense of pride filed me at Saraf’s words. I was almost at the limit of what I thought I could take. I moved another step back and groaned softly as more of Saraf’s inseminator pushed into my ass. My belly felt tight and when I looked down at it, there was a definite bulge. I brought my hands to my slightly distended stomach and rubbed gently but firmly. I was utterly shocked at how aroused I felt at seeing and feeling my body stretched to accommodate Saraf’s inseminator.

Saraf suddenly roared, startling me and making my ass clench down on his inseminator. I shouted in surprise at the strong feel of the first spurt of his seed being released deep into my bowels. Every thirty seconds or so his inseminator would pulse, adding more come into my ass. Each time his inseminator spat a load in me my cock throbbed in response and my ass clenched in pleasure. My balls felt tight with the need to come but I did nothing to get myself there. I wanted to see if I could orgasm solely from the pleasure of Saraf filling me with his seed. I was almost positive it was something that would happen shortly and that thrilled me and made my arousal stronger.

In a surprisingly short amount of time, my belly was stretched to an almost painful degree and I groaned knowing I needed to move off his inseminator. I didn’t want to as the feel of being so filled by Saraf was intensely erotic but I’d reached my limit of what I could take. I moved forward only a single step and the pressure eased considerably so I stopped. I sighed softly and rubbed my belly, loving the feel of fullness and heaviness.

I wasn’t sure but I thought that my stomach looked a bit rounder despite backing a little off Saraf’s inseminator. It almost looked like I was in the first few months of a pregnancy. Shockingly, my cock throbbed and my balls suddenly felt very heavy. It was almost impossible to keep from stroking my cock to release but I wanted my release to be because I was so filled by Saraf.

_“Lord Saraf, I humbly thank you for the gift of receiving your dragon seed into my body. It is a pleasure deeper than anything I could ever imagine. As your faithful servant and devoted husband I beg of you to fill me until I can take no more. I beseech you to give me release solely from the pleasure of filling me so completely with your seed.”_

“Nothing would please me more, my wondrous pearl. Whatever you desire, if it’s within my power, I’ll give you. What you ask for is something I will take great pleasure in giving you. I will give you all that you asked for.”

I moaned softly as another spurt of Saraf’s come filled me. The need to find my release tingled through my balls. I panted as Saraf put another load in my ass. I needed to take another step forward off his inseminator, the growing pressure in my belly too much to handle. That pressure eased a little before his inseminator pulsed hard as it deposited another burst in my ass. The inseminator pressed hard on my prostate with each pulse pushing my lust to the very edge. Another load filled me and I groaned as my cock throbbed and ribbons of come shot from my dick to splatter on the stone floor between my feet. My chest heaved as I tried to draw breath, the pleasure cascading through me so intense, I felt almost dizzy.

Saraf roared and I gasped at the feel of a very large spurt of his seed spraying my insides. The skin over my belly was now tight as a drum. What was previously a gently rounding was now well distended and gave me the look of someone headed into the final months of a pregnancy. Regretfully, I moved fully off of Saraf’s inseminator, my belly as full as I could handle. Despite the intense orgasm I’d just experienced arousal swirled lazily through me. I dropped to my hands and knees and arched my back, hoping the position would keep the majority of Saraf’s seed within me despite my thoroughly loosened hole. I adored the feeling of being nearly full to bursting with Saraf’s seed. We would most definitely be doing this again.

Saraf shifted above me. His inseminator slapped lightly against one of my ass cheeks before resting on my back. I shivered and moaned at the feel of hot seed splashing over my skin as his inseminator pulsed. In a surprisingly short period of time, I was covered in dragon come. I adored the primal sensation of having a belly full of Saraf’s seed and being soaked with even more. I’d never dreamed that I harboured such perverse pleasures. A breathy laugh escaped me at the thought that all the time I spent on my knees in prayer was paying off because despite the hard stone under my knees, I was reasonably comfortable.

“Hold still, Edenlei,” Saraf commanded in a rough tone.

I was about to ask why when several inches of Saraf’s inseminator slid into my ass.

“I can’t take more come, Saraf,” I said as I started to pull off him. “I’m stuffed full.”

“You’ll take this. You prayed to me for this,” Saraf said, his tone unrelenting.

I tried to squirm off the inseminator but Saraf grabbed me with a foreleg and held me in place. I was shocked to my toes to find that I liked that I couldn’t get free of Saraf’s hold and that he was going to make me take more of his seed despite my saying I couldn’t. Truly, I had no idea I was such a perverse individual.

_“Trust in me, my pearl,”_ he said softly in my head.

I stopped struggling, my trust and faith in him absolute. I gasped and moaned as the inseminator pulsed and more seed entered my ass. Saraf roared and his mental shout of, _“Mine!” _was nearly deafening. The overfull feeling of my belly was very close to hurting but felt amazing at the same time. With that final spurt, Saraf withdrew from my body and gently set me down on my side in the pool of his still warm seed.

I felt marked and owned by him, deliriously happy and more fulfilled than I’d ever been in my entire life. I rubbed a hand over my distended belly, admiring the way the seed I was covered in gave my skin an iridescent shimmer. It looked like my skin was actually pale gold. For the first time in my life I felt beautiful and it was all because of Saraf and the bond of love we shared.

“By all that is holy, I love you more than life itself, Saraf. Thank you for bringing me so much pleasure and sharing all of yourself with me.”


	16. Chapter 16

** Chapter 16 **

~Saraf~

A thought had me change in an instant from dragon to man. I stood over Edenlei, a feeling of intense possession and love filling me. He was truly the ultimate prize of my hoard. He lay on his side in a large puddle of my seed, his belly swollen with my come, his skin shimmering as if made of the purest of gold. I was sure I’d never seen anything more beautiful in my very, very long life. The colours of his aura were breathtaking and I wished that there was a way for me to capture the look of him in this moment forever.

I knelt beside him and gently rubbed a hand over his belly. He moaned softly but it wasn’t a sound of pain, but rather a sound of pleasure. My dragon side was puffed up with pride at filling my mate so completely. That same dragon part of me felt intense lust at seeing my mate utterly covered with my seed while lying in a pool of my seed. If I didn’t leash my dragon desires, I was going to end up having Edenlei again as soon as the breeding plug began to dissolve. Even if I took him as a man, it would likely be too much for him after all we’d already done and I refused to hurt him just to satisfy my draconic desires no matter how strong those desires were.

“The last spurt I forced into you was a breeding plug. I thought you’d enjoy being filled like this for as long as I could make it possible. I also adore seeing you like this. It feeds and satisfies my hunger as a dragon to breed my mate. You’re not too uncomfortable are you? I can remove the plug right now if you want or need me to.”

“You sealed your seed inside me? Truly?” Edenlei’s eyes were wide in surprise.

He struggled to sit up on the slippery floor, his enlarged belly making him less than graceful. I thought it was both adorable and erotic. I effortlessly pulled him into my lap and he threw his arms around my neck, kissing me passionately on the lips.

“The little bit of discomfort is well worth it. Honestly, I had no idea I’d like being filled like this. I didn’t even know it was a thing. Thank you for showing me that. I’d very much enjoy doing this again. Not every time as it is a very intense feeling but I’d like it if it was a regular part of our sex life. I must look a total mess though.”

I laughed in delight and kissed him. He was surprisingly kinky and I adored that. Things that we could do together to cater to his enjoyment of being filled ran through my head rapidly. It was going to be pure bliss to introduce my sassy Geomancer to all manner of kinky and debauched acts. Even knowing we literally had eternity, I could hardly wait to get started on expanding his sexual horizons for our mutual pleasure.

“You’re entirely too beautiful like this. I suppose we should get cleaned up though before leaving here. As far as you enjoying being filled, that’s something we can certainly play around with and it doesn’t necessarily involve me in dragon form although we both obviously enjoyed that aspect a lot.”

“That sounds intriguing. I can’t wait to see what you have in mind. But for now, use some of that godly power of yours and clean us both, Lord Saraf,” Edenlei ordered in a mock serious voice.

I laughed, kissed him and snapped my fingers. We went from my hoard cave, covered in dragon spunk to our bedroom, utterly clean and dry between one heartbeat and the next. We were still naked though, a condition I intended to keep Edenlei in as much as possible when we were alone. I still held him in my arms, his weight as inconsequential to me as a butterfly riding on a dragon’s back. I strode to the bed, not letting him go as I settled myself against the headboard with him still snug in my arms.

“Godly power can be so very handy,” Edenlei said with a contented sigh as he rested his head on my shoulder and began stroking a hand over his full belly.

“Indeed. I have no qualms in using them on you however necessary.”

My dragon hand joined his stroking over his rounded stomach. I was amazed all over again at what he’d taken into his body. I hadn’t done anything godly to make him accept so much. To me, that he’d been able to take what he had told me that he had complete trust in me and had relaxed completely into my care. It was humbling and empowering at the same time.

“Speaking of using your godly powers on me, I’m still not very happy with you for whisking me away from your temple during that confrontation with Botam, fantastic sex after the fact notwithstanding. I think I understand why you felt like you needed to do what you did but you made me angry by just doing it and then refusing to be reasonable or rational about having me by your side. I am neither defenceless nor an idiot who can’t recognize danger and I knew Botam was a danger. I did take steps to nullify that danger as soon as possible and you have to admit that I did a fine job of that.

“I’m your Geomancer and have pledged to serve you as an Anchorite as well. You have my utter devotion and obedience as one of your Chosen, Lord Saraf. But, my higher calling and a position that I feel takes precedence over being a Geomancer of Saraf or even that of your Anchorite is that of your husband. As your husband, you still have my absolute devotion and eternal love but we are equal partners, Saraf. You don’t get to decide everything for us without consulting me just as I don’t get to make decisions for us without talking things out with you first.”

I wanted to laugh joyously at Edenlei’s words but didn’t want him to possibly misunderstand why I was laughing and get mad over nothing. I’d never doubted for a second his faithfulness, devotion or obedience to me as his god in the entire time he’d been in my service as one of my Chosen. It thrilled me to the very depths of my soul that he viewed our relationship as a couple as the more important one. I also adored hearing him say that he loved me. That I’d never tire of.

“I’ve never doubted your fealty to me as your god. I also know that you’re not defenceless or an idiot. My only excuse is that you’re so precious to me; I want to keep you from all harm at all times at any cost. You are my pearl of immeasurable price and have my devotion and protection until the end of time. A dragon is extremely protective of his bonded mate. That’s not an excuse for what I did. It’s an explanation. Just the idea of you coming to any harm that I could’ve prevented sends me into a seething rage. I’ll try and be more reasonable but I’m telling you now that I know I’ll piss you off in the future with more of the same actions as earlier today because your safety means everything to me.”

Edenlei sighed, caught my hand and brought it to his lips. He kissed the tips of my claws before looking up at me.

“I suppose all I can ask is that you try and curb the high-handed behaviour. Fair warning to you, I will get pissed if you pull stuff like that again and I will make sure you know I’m pissed about it. And don’t think that amazing sex will make me forget about it either,” he warned. “I’ll enjoy the sex to the fullest but after; I’ll expect to talk things out with you and for you to apologize for being an ass.”

I did laugh then. “Of course, my sassy Geomancer. I wouldn’t dream of using amazing sex to make you forget about being mad at me for doing something with only the best of intentions in keeping you safe.”

Edenlei snorted softly but said nothing. I smoothed my hand over his stomach again, rubbing him gently, marveling once more at how much he’d been able to take. Edenlei hummed his approval and placed his hand over mine. I watched the colours of his aura shift and flow as we rubbed his rounded stomach, entranced at the play of colours.

Every now and again Edenlei would grimace a little and pressed a little harder on my hand making me rub his belly harder for a moment. He was probably feeling a little discomfort from being so full but the contented look on his face kept me from asking if he wanted to release what he held. I didn’t doubt for a second that if it reached a point where he wasn’t enjoying it anymore, he’d let me know.

As I watched and stroked his distended belly with him, the colours of his aura slowly became muted and muddied. That wasn’t normal for Edenlei. His aura always seemed to be bright and vibrant when I looked at it. Something was going on in his head and I didn’t like the direction it was taking him judging by the colour of his aura.

“Edenlei? What’s wrong, my pearl? The colours of your aura have just dimmed and are not as bright as they normally look.”

“A thought just occurred to me as we’re rubbing my belly filled with your seed. I know you love me to the depths of your soul. That’s never going to be a question or doubt in my mind. But seeing my body this way and knowing that it’s because of your seed filling me so utterly, it made me think about something I’d honestly never really considered before.

“Are you truly fine with my taking away your ability to father children? I mean, you could still get a female pregnant but since you’re my husband now, that’s not an option for you anymore. I never saw children in my future because I’ve never been attracted to women but I know you enjoy men and women so you must’ve thought about having kids of your own at some point. I’d like to say that I’d be okay with you getting a female pregnant in order to have children but that would be a bald-face lie. I refuse to share my husband in that way. As my husband, you’re mine alone. I think I might do something violent and fatal to the individual in that instance.”

I smiled and kissed the top of Edenlei’s head, my heart feeling full to bursting at hearing that Edenlei was apparently as possessive over me as I was of him. We were so well suited to each other.

“Children are wonderful and it would be beyond amazing to create a child with you. But that is the only situation where I’d want a child. I think everyone thinks of having children at some point but it’s a little different with gods. Or at least with the gods within my pantheon. If a god wants a child, he or she needs to petition the Great-Father and All-Mother to be allowed to bear offspring. More often than not the request is denied or the god is told to wait in order to keep balance in the pantheon. I’m sure you can understand why having gods popping out offspring whenever the fancy took them would be a bad idea.

“The only exception to that rule are the Elder Gods. My mother is an Elder God so she did as she pleased in having me. Even so, I’m her only child and probably will be the only child she ever has. Fate is an Elder God and she bore Ammiel without needing to ask anyone’s permission. He’s also the only child of Fate and probably will be the only child of Fate since his coming into being was a bit complicated and involved not only two other gods but gods from a different pantheon. It is true that Rhas-Khan, God of the Abyss, and Eilam have a child, Malachite, and Rhas-Khan isn’t an Elder God. They most certainly didn’t seek permission to have Malachite, but there were extenuating circumstances there.”

“Extenuating circumstances? What sort of circumstances would allow a god to flaunt the rules set down by the Great-Father and the All-Mother? And allow for that god to get away with that without serious repercussions?”

“Eilam is Mage-born and a Fatebender. Fatebenders distort the warp and weft of Fate’s tapestry and apparently cause her all manner of frustration. Fortunately, there’s never very many Fatebenders alive at one time from what I understand. Or Mage-born for that matter. However, Eilam was very powerful even before he became god-marked by Rhas-Khan because he is Mage-born.

“Once he was marked, as you have found out, his mystical powers took a huge leap forward. Eilam, when he was just a child, had enough raw power that he found his way to the Abyss in astral form. Rhas-Khan has said that no other child has done that. Eilam did it on purpose, too. His teacher at the time told him to do that in order to prove he was worthy of being taught.”

Edenlei gaped at me. I smiled and nodded.

“But... the mental and mystical strength required to do that takes years of training and even so, not everybody who attempts it can do it. It’s utterly irresponsible to have told a child to go to the abyss. I’ve never tried to go to the abyss because I don’t think I’m ready and I’ve been studying magic for years and years. Truthfully, I’m not really sure I want to see what staring into the abyss would show me.”

“Beautiful and wise,” I said as I kissed his forehead. “Eilam did go to the Abyss later as an adult. He’d more or less forgotten about meeting Rhas-Khan or perhaps thought it was a dream. Rhas-Khan hadn’t forgotten him. Rhas-Khan isn’t only the God of the Abyss, he _is_ the Abyss. When you look into the Abyss you look into Rhas-Khan’s eyes and he most certainly looks back at you. It’s unnerving to say the least, even for a god.

“He said he looked into Eilam when Eilam was a child. He saw Eilam coming back to him as an adult. Rhas-Khan saw all the possibilities of their life together so he waited for twenty years for Eilam to come back to him. It’s true that twenty years can be just an eye blink for a god but when you’re waiting for the one you love.... I’m sure it seemed like an eternity for Rhas-Khan.

“Rhas-Khan and Eilam had been together for about two hundred and sixty years or so when a Phenocrast Stone Giant came to the abyss. She asked Rhas-Khan to take her geode into safe keeping, which he did. I don’t know the specifics of it but apparently the geode was exposed over and over to the unleashed power of a god and a Mage-born, god-touched, Fatebender. Malachite was borne from the geode. It’s highly unlikely that a child would’ve been born from the geode if it had been anyone but Rhas-Khan and Eilam and their powers combined. Apparently Malachite was not something Rhas-Khan has seen in the countless possibilities of their life together. Even Fate herself was surprised by that turn of events.”

Edenlei was quiet for several minutes and his brow furrowed. I wondered what was going on in his head this time. The colours of his aura returned to their usual brightness and his expression cleared as he smiled up at me.

“I bet we could do it. If you wanted children I mean. It was accidental on their part to have Malachite from what you’ve said. But I’m a Geomancer. _Your_ Geomancer and husband. Manipulating the elements is my gift. Stone can be very stubborn to work with but I’m a patient man and quite good with stone. Fanji claims I’m more stubborn than any stone once I decide on something. I can usually get stone to do what I want in a reasonable amount of time since I’m just as stubborn as it is. Geodes are sort of like eggs for stone giants. I’d never heard of one being used to create a child for anything other than a stone giant though.

“I’d need to research the specific type of stone geode Malachite came from and what Lord Rhas-Khan and Eilam did to expose it to so much power in order to create a life, but I’m confident I could eventually reproduce the effect. At least once I get a handle on my increased power I could. Trying something like that now or even the immediate future would be the height of foolhardiness.”

“I’m more than satisfied having you all to myself, my pearl. You’ve taken nothing from me, Edenlei. You’ve given me more than I ever hoped. I do appreciate the offer though. Do you want a child, Edenlei? If that is the case, I’ll do or get you whatever you need in order to make that happen.”

He opened his mouth to answer but closed it without saying a word. He was quiet again as he thought, his silence longer this time than when he’d thought about using a geode to give me a child he seemed to think I wanted or needed. I continued to rub his belly along with him marvelling at the fullness. It was incredibly erotic to know it was my seed that gave him such a gravid look. I was a touch surprised to realize that a small part of me was jealous of the idea of having to share his love and attention with another even if that other was a child of ours. Apparently I was far more possessive and selfish than I realized.

“Truthfully? I think I like the idea of my belly being heavy with your seed more than the idea of actually having our child fill my belly, if such a thing was even possible. This fullness of your essence is what thrills and pleases me,” Edenlei said as he rubbed a hand over his rounded belly and pink highlighted his cheeks in a blush at his admission.

“I’m really not very good with children and I’m horrible with babies. I’m always worried that I’ll drop the baby or something. And I never know what I’m supposed to do with a crying baby aside from hand it back to its parents. I’m quite selfish, too, in that I like my sleep uninterrupted and I cherish my free time to do as I please. Parents don’t have that luxury to the best of my knowledge. I’m also not very keen on the idea of sharing your love and attention. That probably makes me a horrible person but I can’t help the way I feel. So, I guess my answer is no, I don’t want children even if it were possible to create one with you.”

“If that makes you a horrible person, then I’m just as guilty since I don’t want to share your love and attention with another either. Then we’re agreed. No children for us. Prasiolite and Rhodolite excepted, of course, although they’re not exactly children in the strictest sense of the word and they’re most certainly not ours by blood.”

Edenlei chuckled. “They’re more than enough of a handful. I think they’d be jealous of a baby and the time and attention it would receive from us as parents. I’m coming to learn that dragons are quite possessive and territorial.”

“We are,” I said with a grin. “Now that that’s settled, since you enjoy the aspects of being filled like you are now, there’s all manner of things we can do to feed that desire of yours. I’ve collected some rather interesting toys over the millennium and I think you’ll appreciate some of the more unusual ones.”

The light of interest shone in Edenlei’s eyes and I grinned at him before kissing him gently on the lips. He sucked in a surprised breath when I suddenly moved us from our bed to the bath in an instant. I set him on his feet and caressed his belly once more. He really was enchanting with a belly full of my seed. My dragon side roused and I struggled to cap my need for him again. He was wonderfully adventurous and much more resistant to damage thanks to my god-mark. That didn’t mean he was immune to pain or even general aches and stiffness. His body needed some time to adjust and recuperate from our earlier activities not to mention once he expelled what I’d put into him.

“The smell of my seed coming from you is a little stronger which means the plug I put in your ass is beginning to dissolve. You have a lot of my spunk inside you and it would soak the bed if we stayed there when it dissolves. That’s why I brought us to the bath. Regardless, it should be just my seed that leaves you so any mess won’t be too bad.”

“What do you mean just your seed leaving me? What else would there be?” he asked with a frown.

“When I realized that you were enjoying my tongue invading your ass and that you wanted it even deeper, I used a little godly power to remove that which would’ve interfered with our pleasure.”

Edenlei frowned. “I’m not following you. What would’ve interfered with what we did? What could you have possibly removed from me? We were already naked and there were certainly no inhibitions on my part. I can’t say I felt like anything was removed either. At least nothing that I noticed.”

“Call it a godly enema without all the time, mess and fuss.”

Edenlei turned bright red in embarrassment. He cleared his throat twice before he was able to speak. “Well, thank you for that, I think. I’m glad one of us was thinking ahead.”

I laughed and kissed him again just for the sheer pleasure of kissing him. “Get in the tub and put your hands on the edge of the tub. I’m going to remove the plug and when I do, I expect there to be a flood of spunk from your ass.”

“I can probably remove it myself. You don’t need to do it for me. You can go do... whatever while I deal with this,” Edenlei said, his cheeks flaming and obviously flustered at the idea of my seeing the seed I’d put in his ass being expelled.

“Ahhh, but I need to be the one to remove the plug. It’s a dragon thing.”

Edenlei gave me a narrow-eyed look at that as if not quite believing me. I stared back at him, waiting. He could certainly remove the plug himself or wait for it to finish dissolving. But I wanted to be the one that did it. The dragon in me demanded it. Edenlei huffed and turned to place his hands on the edge of the tub as I’d told him to when he realized that I wasn’t going to be swayed.

I admired his pert ass for several seconds before gently parting his cheeks. His hole was a little red and puffy and there was a thin but steady trickle of iridescent seed leaking from his ass. I simply couldn’t help myself when I leaned in and lapped up the spunk dribbling from his ass. If we were dragons, I’d stick my tongue into him and pull the remainder of the plug free with my tongue, arousing him in the process to prepare him to be bred again. Edenlei sucked in a surprised breath as I tongued his hole, his exhale shaky and sounding very much like a moan.

“I’ll be as gentle as I can. Tell me if anything hurts or if you need a minute to adjust. I likely need to get three fingers into you to be able to get a firm grip on the plug to pull it free. Ideally, if I could get my hand into you to grab it and pull it free, that would be the fastest way.”

Edenlei partially turned to look at me. “You want to put your hand in my ass? That’s not even possible. Is it? Do people even do that?”

“When I had my tongue in you earlier, it could be compared to being fisted considering the size of my dragon tongue. Same thing goes for my inseminator. I was actually wonderfully stunned at how much you took. That’s generally not what happens with someone’s first time taking something of significant size. I can only assume that it was because I moved slowly, dragon spit is very lubricating and you had absolute faith and trust in me so were utterly relaxed.”

“Of course I trust you. I know you’d never hurt me on purpose. Do whatever you feel is best, Saraf,” Edenlei said as he resumed his position.

“Dangerous words, my pearl. What I feel is best is to take the dissolving plug out of you, breed you and plug you again. Not only once but over and over again until I’ve completely emptied my balls into you and we’re both exhausted from the excess. But that is pure dragon mentality and not what I should do. Despite you being god-touched now, I think that would be entirely too much for you.”

“I must have some sort of latent dragon in me then because that sounds like a fantastic idea with all the kinky, naughty aspects I’m coming to understand I really like,” Edenlei said in a quiet but sure voice.

My heart thumped heavily in my chest at Edenlei’s words. I moved to his side and drew him up straight, pulling him into my arms for a tight hug. He grunted as his rounded belly pressed hard against my flat one. I covered his lips with mine, the kiss demanding and dominating. Edenlei’s lips softened under mine and he made sounds of approval in his throat as he kissed me back. I pressed him tighter to me as I slipped my fingers down to tease his hole.

More of my seed had trickled from him as I hugged him tight. The slickness of my dragon seed leaking from his ass was more than enough to coat my fingers to easily slide into his still fairly relaxed hole. I was barely past the first knuckle when I touched the spongy plug I’d put inside him earlier. It felt like it was still a fair size and still mostly intact. I might be able to draw it from his body if I could hook a finger into the plug and pull it slowly but steadily from him.

I began tongue-fucking his mouth as I tried to get a decent grip on the plug to free him of it. Edenlei wriggled against me, his sounds of pleasure swallowed by me as I unintentionally teased his ass to free him of the plug. His hands circled behind me and gripped my ass earning a hum of approval from me. I finally managed to hook a finger in the plug and began pulling it slowly from Edenlei. He squirmed against me and I couldn’t help the growl that wound from my throat when his finger started rubbing over my hole.

_“Was that a stop growl or a don’t stop growl with regards to my fingering your hole?”_ Edenlei asked in my head, humour and desire in his mental voice.

_“Don’t stop. Please feel very free to play with my ass any damn time you want. Matter of fact, I think I’m going to insist that you not only play with my ass, but that you get your cock into it on a regular basis. Sound like a good idea?”_

_“Sounds like an excellent idea and one I’m excited to try. But not now. Right now I want you. In me. Over and over again. I want you to breed me as your mate, my glorious dragon lord.”_

_“Are you sure, my pearl? You’re going to be very sore later if I do that,”_ I warned even as his words caused my cock to jump to rigid attention.

_“I’m sure. I feel a... need to have you inside me, filling me. I can’t explain it but once you mentioned breeding me over and over again until your balls were empty, it’s all that I can think about.”_

_“As you wish, my pearl. Thank you for the gift of loving all aspects of me.”_

I tugged gently on the plug inside him, swallowing more of his pleasured moans as the plug came free. I let go of the plug and it fell with a soft plop to the bottom of the tub. For a second or two nothing happened. Then a gush of seed left his ass, the splattering sound as it hit the bottom of the metal tub loud in the quiet. Edenlei pulled back from the kiss, his cheeks flushed a delicate pink again and he grimaced a little.

He wormed a hand between us and pushed against his belly. An even larger rush of come was expelled from him. Colour flooded his face as he returned my stare and he pushed again on his belly, forcing more from his body with a soft grunt. I could’ve rid him of the come the same way I’d cleaned him out earlier but the dragon in me refused to do it, preferring to see my mate’s body naturally discard the seed that hadn’t fertilized him before I bred him again.

Before long, I was holding Edenlei up, his feet finding no traction in the now slippery tub. The charming blush had faded from his face and his belly was back to being the flat plane it normally was. He wasn’t hard, possibly because he was embarrassed to have me see him empty his bowels. I most certainly was hard though. Before I had him, I was going to make sure he was just as aroused as me. I honestly didn’t think that would take a lot of effort.

Once it appeared that there was no more of my seed left in him, I lifted him from the tub and pushed him to sit on a small stool. A thought had a basin of warm water materialize beside him and I set about gently but quickly cleaning him of the seed that’d splashed on his legs and feet. I dried him with a fluffy towel, scooped him into my arms and brought him to thick dire wolf pelt on the floor in front of the large fire pit in a corner of the bath. A flick of my fingers had a fire dancing on the logs in an instant. Edenlei smiled at me as I laid him on the fur.

“I could get used to being spoiled like this, Saraf. This is quite decadent, you know,” he said as he rubbed his hands back and forth over the soft fur.

“It would be my pleasure to spoil you as much as you’ll let me. This is not decadent. You do remember that I’m a god and a dragon, right? Decadent would be wrapping my cock with strings of perfectly matched round pearls before fucking you to give us intense pleasure. Decadent would be inserting multiple sapphires, rubies and emeralds shaped like hen’s eggs into your ass, stuffing you completely because you like that. Decadent would be binding you to a bed of silks and furs before bathing you in a flood of dragon seed.”

Edenlei stared at me, his eyes wide before a slow, devilish grin spread over his lips. “Not that there’s anything wrong with decadence when you can well afford it.”

I threw back my head and laughed. “For you, my adventurous pearl, anything.”

“Then fill me again, Lord Saraf. I want to feel your essence inside me once more,” Edenlei said as he reached up and caressed my jaw.

I couldn’t have silenced the possessive growl that rumbled through my chest if I’d wanted to. Edenlei brought his legs up, bent his knees and spread his legs, holding them apart for me with a firm grip behind his knees. A delicate pink blush stole over his face, spread down this throat and tinted the skin over his shoulders giving him the appearance of rose gold as he displayed himself to me. He was beautiful and utterly erotic and turned me into the basest of dragons caught in a breeding frenzy with his chosen mate. My hips snapped forward of their own accord and I sank balls deep into him in one thrust.

Edenlei’s back bowed and he moaned low, his eyes squeezing shut. I mentally wrestled with my dragon half, trying desperately to claw myself back from the wholly primal need to fuck my mate hard and breed him as quickly as possible so I could do it again shortly. I somehow managed to hold myself still, my arms trembling slightly from the strain of not moving. I knew I hadn’t hurt him by suddenly entering him, his hole still relaxed and slick with slippery dragon seed. That wasn’t the point though. He was my pearl of immeasurable price and to treat him so carelessly was beyond rude.

“Again, Saraf. By all the gods, do that again,” he demanded as he opened his eyes and stared at me with growing lust.

“What?” I managed to growl out as the need to possess my mate started to burn through me. I ground my cock into him, circling my hips in a move I couldn’t seem to stop.

“I adore feeling claimed by you. Make me yours again, Saraf. Fill me with everything you have. You said you’d give me whatever I want. Give me all that you are. Fill me with your seed and pour your godhood into me. I want all of that. Now.”

I stared at Edenlei in surprise. He’d said before that he enjoyed the feeling of my claiming him and I believed him. But there’d been no build up to my entering him this time. I’d simply shoved my cock into his hot hole. His muscles fluttered over my dick, the pleasure at being buried in the love of my life steadily tearing away at my restraint.

His cock twitched between us and I looked down to see it slowly start to rise until it stood proudly erect. A pearl of pre-come glistened at the tip, the sight and smell of it making my mouth water and my balls ache with need to empty in him. I fully looked at him using my third eye and groaned at the riot of colours that twisted and surged around him. Every colour was heavily tinted with that of lust and love.

“Please, Saraf. I won’t break and you won’t hurt me. You can’t. Give me you in all your draconic, godly glory.”

“For you, Edenlei, I gladly give you everything that I am.”

I let go of all the restraint I held on all aspects of myself. My draconic power burst from me to weave through the explosion of my godly powers. They combined and expanded to fill the bedchambers, the heaviness of magic and godhood feeling like a tingling, gentle pressure in the air to me.

The combined power was immense but went no further than the walls of the bedchamber, the rooms having been spelled to keep my unfettered power safely contained for those times when I wanted to have no locks upon myself. Edenlei yelled and his chest heaved, his ass squeezing down tightly on my cock. I wasn’t worried about crushing him with so much power. He could withstand it and judging from the way his cock was twitching, he was enjoying it immensely.

_“Fuck me, Saraf. Hard and fast. This feels too good and it’s too much pleasure. I’m going to come in the next few minutes and I want to feel you fill me before I do so I can fully enjoy it,”_ he said, his mental voice sexy and demanding.

My hips started pumping, obeying him, roughly shoving my cock in and out of his hole. Edenlei’s cock bounced against his belly several times before he moved one of his arms awkwardly to hook his knee in the crook of his arm so he could jerk himself off. His movements were uncoordinated as he worked against himself, squirming and wriggling under me.

I pushed into him hard and stilled as I shifted to grip his legs behind his knees leaning my weight into him and forcing him to curl his body tighter. He moaned, let go of his legs and got a better grip on his cock, jerking himself quickly. The grin I gave him had more than a hint of dragon to it and his ass clenched me tight again.

“Come with me my precious pearl,” I said in a low voice as I poured easily half of the combined power of a dragon and a god into him.

Edenlei went rigid and screamed my name. His cock began spurting with his release and I managed two more rough thrusts in his ass before slamming in and roaring as my own orgasm stormed through me. I pressed tight to him, revelling in the bliss of breeding my mate. The last spurt that left my balls was a sticky plug to keep what I’d put in him there. It was nowhere near as big as what I’d plugged him with when a dragon, but it would do.

I eased out of him, physically, magically and spiritually, and gently let his legs go. His entire body was flushed to rose gold and he panted harshly, his eyes closed. Panic flared to life in my belly when I saw tears roll from the corners of his eyes. I gathered him into my arms, hugging him tight to my chest, at a loss as to what to do to make right whatever distress I’d caused him.

_“That was the most beautiful, moving, experience of my life,”_ he said, his mental voice filled with love and serenity. “W_hen I asked you to give me you, I didn’t expect you to fill me with your power like that. I feel... branded by your power and a part of you now. I could feel how much you love me through your power. It was incredible.”_

“Then, why are you crying, my love?” I asked as my heart slowed from its panicked beating at the thought of somehow hurting or upsetting Edenlei.

Edenlei brought a hand to his face and touched his cheek, surprise flashing through his eyes at discovering the wetness of his tear tracks on his skin. Relief flowed through me. If he wasn’t aware of his tears, then it likely wasn’t something I needed to worry about. Hopefully. Possibly he wouldn’t know why he’d been crying. He was silent for a few long minutes that started worry gnawing at me again.

“I guess because I’m unbelievably happy. I feel a little worn out and really could use a nap, but I’ve also never felt better. Can we have a nap? On the bed? These furs are very nice and I like the sound and smell of the fire next to us, but there is a stone floor under the furs and they don’t provide a whole lot of padding between my skinny ass and the floor.”

I laughed, kissed him, and moved us to the bed, furs and all, with a thought. I lay on my back, Edenlei draped half-on, half-off my chest. He sighed softly in contentment and slipped a leg between mine, his thigh brushing against my balls, his head on my shoulder and his hand cupping the back of my head. His breathing slowly returned to normal and after a while of comfortable silence I thought him asleep until he spoke softly.

“I really enjoyed being filled with your power. It was very erotic. I think though that I like being filled with your dragon seed just the tiniest bit more. Of course, I’d need to try both things again one after the other to make sure I was comparing them fairly. Not tonight for more dragon seed though. That’s a little too intense for more than once a night. At least for this body to do that. I can’t speak for how it’ll be when I’m a dragon.”

A thrill shot through me at his words. He was truly a delight.

“Naturally. I’m only too happy to help you compare which one you like best. I think you’ll need to test it out multiple times to be sure. Trying twice really wouldn’t give you a good basis for a decision. The number of sample experiences are too small to give a true unbiased opinion.”

I felt Edenlei’s lips turn up in a smile against my chest. “That’s true. I do want to be thorough before I declare which is best. It might be an on-going thing. I’m sure there’s many variables like positions and locations that the acts take place in that could heighten or reduce the overall enjoyment.”

A chuckle escaped me and I hugged Edenlei a little tighter to me as I kissed him on the forehead. “Rest, my pearl. I’m not quite done with you yet and you did say that you wanted to feel me filling you over and over until my balls were empty. Unless you’re feeling too tender to continue?”

“Absolutely not. I wasn’t kidding when I said I’ve never felt better. I’m a bit tired, yes, but a half-hour nap should take care of that nicely. And as long as you do the filling while in this form, I can certainly take more. I love you, Saraf. Forever and always.”

“And I love you, Edenlei. To the end of time and beyond,” I said before tipping his face up to me and kissing him softly on the lips.


	17. Chapter 17

** Chapter 17 **

~Edenlei~

It had been three days since Saraf declared the punishment for his wayward priests. Delshad was already dead, his full punishment having been served yesterday. Saraf had commanded all his Chosen to come to the prayer hall to watch the final part of Delshad’s sentence to be carried out. Saraf had raised the flame bubble containing Delshad well above everyone’s head so that even those in the very back of the prayer hall could see what was about to happen. I didn’t know what Saraf had planned but I was sure it wasn’t going to be easy to watch. That was the point of such a public punishment.

Saraf removed the barrier that prevented everyone from constantly hearing Delshad’s screams and moans and the smell of his burning flesh. There was more than one person in the hall that started retching when that scent floated through the room. My stomach had turned unpleasantly but I somehow managed not to throw up although only barely.

Fire erupted from Delshad’s orifices and although it shouldn’t have been possible, his screams became louder and more tortured for a few seconds before they were cut off abruptly and his entire body turned into a searing pillar of silvery-white flame. Bare seconds after his body was engulfed, the fire vanished, the flame bubble along with it. There was absolutely nothing left of Delshad, not even ash. The entire process took less than five minutes, which was actually a lot shorter than I assumed it was going to be.

To say that Delshad’s death made an impression on the Chosen as well as Keahi, Vanida and Botam was a massive understatement. I didn’t know what was in the hearts of Saraf’s Chosen but I didn’t need to in order to feel the fear flowing through the hall. It was almost a palatable thing.

I’d questioned Saraf mentally, asking if striking the level of fear into his Chosen as he’d just done was the best course of action. His response was that obviously his Chosen needed to know he wasn’t fucking around with how his faith was to go and that any further attempts to guide it in a direction he didn’t want it going was going to face some very serious, hideously painful and fatal consequences. I couldn’t really argue against that logic.

Vanida was to suffer the final stage of her punishment after evening prayers. While she was undoubtedly in a vast amount of pain already, she now had a look of utter terror in her eyes. I completely understood why. To know that you were going to soon feel even more pain than you currently were had to be an unimaginably horrifying thought. I felt no pity for her though. She’d known what she was doing was wrong and against Saraf’s wishes yet she’d done it anyway. There were always consequences to a person’s actions.

Keahi, suffering the same punishment as Vanida and Delshad, still somehow managed to look defiant. I truly didn’t understand that at all. His God, Saraf, had appeared right in front of him and flatly told him, for the second time no less, that what Keahi tried to do was directly contrary to what Saraf wanted for his faith. I’d known Keahi to be a pompous, self-important ass but I’d had no idea he was that stupid on top of those other things.

I hadn’t done anything to put Keahi’s in his current situation, unless one counted drawing Saraf back to us as leading to Keahi’s ruin, yet each time I passed within his sight, he glared at me with utter loathing I was at a loss to explain. From what I thought I understood of the Priest’s actions, I’d thought bring Saraf back to us was the entire purpose of what they’d been doing. Regardless, whenever Keahi saw me, I swore hate blazed in his eyes. I knew he couldn’t do anything to me but it was still unsettling to see when I knew he had to be suffering unimaginable pain yet he still found it somewhere within himself to give me a look filled with loathing.

Botam was not looking or smelling his best. He was actually downright disgusting now that the rot he’d held at bay for centuries with necromantic magic had taken him over. Rai-Sui said Botam would have four days to suffer the effects of the decay consuming both his soul and body before he would return to take Botam’s soul. Botam had one day to go and judging by the pained expression on his face, that time couldn’t come soon enough. Even so, like Keahi, he seemed to still be holding on to the idea that Saraf would realize Botam had been in the right in going contrary to Saraf’s Will to achieve their ends.

Not only that, Botam’s eyes followed Saraf anytime he happened to be in the prayer hall, the look in them very disturbing and obsessive. I’d have thought that with everything that had gone before that landed Botam in the situation he was currently in, he’d have realized that Saraf thought less than nothing of him and the only reason Botam still lived was because Saraf wanted him to suffer as an example to his Chosen of what happened to those who defied Saraf’s will.

If I thought Keahi’s eyes held contempt for me, it was nothing compared to what was in Botam’s eyes when he saw me. I was grateful Botam couldn’t say a single thing because of Rai-Sui silencing him. I didn’t doubt for a second that everything that would’ve come out of his mouth directed at me would’ve been vile and that he would’ve been spewing it every time he saw me.

One of the Geomancer alycotes was walking with me as we passed through the prayer hall on our way to the Geomancer training area. I tried to avoid the prayer hall as much as possible while the Priests were suffering their punishment. It wasn’t that I didn’t want to see them suffer. I thought they deserved their punishment for what they’d tried to do. It was the way my skin would crawl when I felt Keahi and Botam’s hate-filled eyes on me that made me go out of my way to avoid the prayer hall.

But, the alycote had waylaid me just outside the main entrance doors to the prayer hall as I was walking past and asked for my help with manipulating stone. While I was having some issues with my power levels and trying to figure out the right amount to use to get the results I needed, the basic understanding of how to manipulate the elements was still the same.

I was well-known for having a knack with stone. It was a very stubborn thing to work with and even some full Geomancers still had difficulty working it. I’d agreed to help the alycote try to work past the hurdle she found herself up against. She’d beamed in delight at my saying yes and headed into the prayer hall at a fast clip, the quickest route to the Geomancer training area being through the prayer hall and out a side entrance since the prayer hall was the central point of the temple.

“Priest Botam seems to really dislike you a lot, Geomancer Edenlei,” the young alycote, Treyanni, said. “It doesn’t look like Elder Priest Keahi likes you very much either.”

“No, I don’t think they do. It doesn’t matter to me what they think of me, but it is uncomfortable to be the focus of so much hate. That’s why I try to avoid the prayer hall as much as I can lately. I can sort of understand why Botam hates me, since he undoubtedly sees me as having stolen Lord Saraf’s affection from him even though that’s not the case. I have no idea why Keahi looks at me with so much loathing. I’ve never done anything to the man. I’ve barely said more than two dozen words to him the entire time I’ve served Lord Saraf as one of his Chosen.”

Treyanni looked at me and raised an eyebrow. “I heard that Priest Botam told Elder Priest Keahi that those who served him would gain power and longer life. Priest Botam said that Lord Saraf was in love with him and would do whatever he asked. With Lord Saraf choosing you over Priest Botam, all that Priest Botam promised Elder Priest Keahi was turned to ash. Elder Priest Keahi has lost everything and suffers greatly for the gamble he took. He will pay with his life for trusting and believing in Priest Botam.”

“Where did you hear all that?” I asked in surprise. It never failed to amaze me how crazy rumours got without any real evidence to back them up.

“Elder Priest Keahi approached one of my friends and offered to elevate her, pushing her up through the Cleric ranks before she’d completed her alycote training if she’d agree to warm his bed. He told her that if she pleased him well until he tired of her; he’d have Botam give her a little longer life. Unoliha is very beautiful with no lack of partners. She’s a kind and gentle person, too. She’s going to be an amazing Cleric when she finishes her training. She’s very devout, as well. She told me that aside from being a bit grossed out at the mental image of sleeping with Elder Priest Keahi, she was very offended that he tried to buy his way into her bed and thought that she’d cheat her way into the ranks of the Clerics.”

Saraf needed to know about this. I highly doubted Keahi had done something like that only once. He’d always struck me as the kind of person that would abuse their position of power if given half a chance. There were times when I didn’t like being right about things and this was definitely one of those times. I gave a mental sigh. This little piece of information likely meant that Saraf was going to have to go through all his Chosen to see who might be in a higher position within his faith not because of study and hard work but because they’d spread their legs for Keahi and quite possibly some of the other Priests, too. Saraf was not going to be happy about this.

“Lord Saraf is going to be very displeased to hear of this. Not with your friend, but with Elder Priest Keahi,” I said as we approached closer to Botam, Keahi and Vanida in order to reach the door to the training grounds.

I glanced at Botam and saw a strange look of... triumph in his eyes. That made no sense to me as he was not in what anyone would consider a winning position. He pulled a thumb-sized crystal-like pendant out from his tunic and twisted his hands in opposite directions. The pendant came apart, a piece in each of his fists and I felt a very strong surge of magic along my senses. It was slimy, clammy and like thousands of decaying slugs had just crawled over my skin all at the same time. I barely had time to register that before a ball of sickly, green-black flames barrelled at me and Treyanni.

Heat and the stench of a charnel pit washed over me. I heard screams and it took me a few seconds to realize the screams were coming from Treyanni. I spun to face her and stared in shock as virulent green-black flames seemed to be devouring her. Instinct kicked in and I called forth a burst of water, knowing that I’d overdo it but that would likely be a good thing in this instance.

A sheet of water fell over us, drenching us both and driving us to hands and knees from the sheer force of the water pouring over us. The water did absolutely nothing to the flames and Treyanni’s screams were becoming higher pitched, filled with terror and pain. The smell of burning flesh and hair was sickening. Botam glared at me, the amount of hate, frustration and rage in his eyes staggering. I was utterly sure he’d expected me to be consumed by the flames just as Treyanni was being consumed.

I tried to snuff the flames but even with my increased power level, they did little more than decrease a bit and flicker wildly in some places. Fire could be difficult to corral but whatever the flames were that Botam had unleashed, it was like trying to clench fog in my fist. They were not normal flames and I just couldn’t get a firm grasp on what I needed to do to snuff them out. This spell or whatever it was, was way above my experience level to deal with.

_“Saraf! Botam has somehow set fire to one of your acolytes that was walking with me. I can’t put out the flames. They’re not normal flames and nothing I try is making them go out. I’ve never dealt with flames like these and I don’t know what to do to stop them.”_

Saraf appeared at my side in an instant, glanced at me, Treyanni and Botam and roared, the sound one of wild rage and as loud as any dragon. His mouth opened and an intensely hot dazzling white flame as thick around as my forearm speared out. It hit Botam in the chest, the white flame turning brilliant blue and burning even hotter. The blue flame punched clean through Botam’s chest, creating a hole easily the size of a dinner plate. Botam was very obviously dead since most of his upper chest was now a seared hole but his body was still standing as if it hadn’t realized it was dead yet and hadn’t toppled over.

The flame from Saraf’s mouth stopped abruptly. The green-black flames that had been covering Treyanni vanished the moment Botam’s life ceased. Saraf roared loudly again, obviously still enraged, and stalked to Botam’s corpse. Red-orange flames randomly sprang to life over Saraf’s body, snapping and crackling. Where he stepped, the stone under his feet turned molten. He grabbed Botam’s neck and white flames erupted from Saraf’s hand, enveloping Botam’s head. The flames quickly changed colour and burned blue for mere seconds before vanishing. Botam’s corpse was now headless. Red-orange flames jumped and danced over Saraf’s body as he stood over Botam.

Saraf grabbed one of Botam’s arms and easily tore it from what was left of his torso. Intensely hot, blue fire that instantly dried my soaked clothes and made me instinctively back away, raced over Botam’s detached limb. Saraf released the arm and it turned to fine grey ash before it even hit the floor. He did the same with the other arm before shoving both hands into the charred hole he’d made through Botam’s chest and wrenched the torso in two. The entire time Saraf was pulling apart Botam’s corpse, he was growling lowly and speaking in what I assumed was Dragon. I didn’t understand a word he was saying but I didn’t need to in order to know that he was beyond furious. I was seeing godly level wrath and it was truly terrifying even though I knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that Saraf would never hurt me.

I looked down and didn’t need to be a Cleric to know that Treyanni was gone. Botam’s flames or whatever they had been had done nothing to me. My clothes weren’t even smudged with smoke. Treyanni on the other hand, was barely more than heavily burned meat. I felt sad and angry that one of Saraf’s Chosen had died in such a brutal and pointless manner.

Saraf was still raging out on what remained of Botam. My mouth dropped open in shock as Saraf placed his hand on the thick stone that encased Botam’s legs and turned the stone to slag in seconds, the intense heat generated from his actions making me step even further away from Saraf. Rock turned to lava and flowed to pool around Saraf’s feet. There was absolutely nothing left of Botam. There was still a towering rage in Saraf’s eyes though when he turned to look at me. I knew he wasn’t angry with me. He was still incredibly furious that he couldn’t make Botam suffer more.

The stories about Saraf’s rage when roused had not been overstated. They might’ve actually been downplayed a bit. It truly was not wise to anger a god. Saraf stalked to where Keahi and Vanida were still trapped within the flame bubbles Saraf had imprisoned them in. Keahi was finally showing a spark of intelligence and looked terrified out of his mind as Saraf approached. Vanida looked hysterical with abject fear. I was certain they knew that things were about to go even worse for them than originally planned as their punishment. The few Chosen in the prayer hall looked like they wanted to be anywhere but where they were but they all seemed to be frozen in place, unable to flee. I wasn’t sure if that was their fear that held them immobile or if Saraf was preventing them from leaving so they could see the level of wrath that had been stirred within him.

“Did you think that I would allow you to try to harm my Pearl and not pay for that?” Saraf asked in a soft voice. For all that he spoke in soft tones, it was purely frightening in ways that I couldn’t put words to.

“Edenlei could never be harmed by anything your pitiful mortal minds or power could come up with regardless of how many centuries of magic use you have under your belt. You truly don’t understand what he has become. Regardless that your plan to hurt him never had a chance to succeed, I’m beyond enraged that you tried. If you thought you’d been suffering up to this point, you have no idea what suffering is.”

The flame bubbles vanished but Keahi and Vanida remained hovering in the same place. Their arms were wrenched into a position straight out from their bodies and their legs spread. Fire flared to life at the tips of the fingers of one hand on Keahi and Vanida simultaneously, the flames burning a brilliant blue colour. Keahi and Vanida opened their mouths to scream but no sound came from them. I watched with wide eyes as the fire slowly burned away the first joints of their fingers leaving not even a trace of ash from their burned flesh and bone.

“When the fire reaches your torso, it’ll stop and one of your other limbs will begin to burn. It’s slow moving and will take at least an hour just to devour one limb. Once your limbs are gone, the fire will crawl up your torso to finish the job. You’re going to take at least half a day to die, cremated alive, feeling everything, without the ability to slip into unconsciousness or death unless I will it. You shall not get that mercy from me. I am done with showing mercy to those who would throw it back in my face. Rai-Sui is going to be displeased with me as I’m destroying your soul as I burn your bodies to nothing but I think he’ll understand in this instance. Your very existence ends here.”

A massive throne of molten lava and fire rose from the floor. Saraf settled himself on the throne facing Keahi and Vanida. The Chosen in the hall finally seemed able to move and they fled in fear, stumbling over one another in an effort to get out. I wasn’t sure if Saraf expected me to stay in the hall with him or not. I didn’t want to stay. The sight of Keahi and Vanida slowly being cremated while still alive was horrifying and nauseating even thought there was no actual smell of burning flesh or screams coming from them despite their wide open mouths.

_“I don’t think I can stay here to watch this, Saraf. It’s too much for me to watch. I have no stomach for torture no matter how well deserved.”_

_“I don’t expect you, Edenlei. This is purely for my sense of vengeance as both dragon and god. See to my Chosen. They’re terrified. Rightly so. I’ve never exercised my power so severely on any mortal. I’m beyond enraged over what was attempted.”_

I nodded, bowed to Saraf and left the hall. It wasn’t hard to find the Chosen who’d been in the hall. They were gathered in front of the temple, milling around like spooked animals, which I suppose they were in a sense. I thought it was a good sign that they hadn’t run off in all directions, letting their fear at witnessing what Saraf had done rule their actions.

I climbed up onto the base of a large statue of Saraf, not really sure what I was going to say. Normally, reassuring the Chosen would be something an Elder Priest would do but of the few Elder Priests I could see in the crowd, they were just as terrified as everyone else. Saraf had also said for me to see to his Chosen. I was his Geomancer and his Anchorite. I obeyed his will as my god without question as was my duty.

I clapped my hands sharply to get the attention of the Chosen. The crowd slowly turned their gazes to me, the frightened chatter dropping away to nothing. I didn’t know what to say but I had to say something. I drew in what I hoped would be a calming breath and started to speak.

“What we just witnessed was very frightening. I love Lord Saraf with all my heart as both my god and my husband and I know with rock solid faith that he’d never harm me, but that display of rage and power frightened even me on a deep, instinctual level. The anger-fueled power of a god is not something any sane individual should ever provoke unless they’re willing to pay the devastating and terrifying consequences. Add in the fury of a very powerful dragon and it is truly a force to be reckoned with.

“I understand why Lord Saraf was so enraged and I believe if all of you think about it for a moment, you will, too. How would you feel if someone attacked the person you loved? Not only to hurt them but with the single goal of killing them as painfully as possible. Would you not want to seek revenge for that wrong even if your loved one was ultimately unharmed from the attack? How sad and angry would you feel that an innocent by-stander was sacrificed in the effort to kill your loved one? Would it not seem like justice to make the person responsible for those acts suffer a harsh punishment for their heinous actions?”

All of the Chosen were focused on me and my words now. My stomach fluttered with nerves. I’d never spoken to so many people all at once. Saraf was trusting me to calm his Chosen and I really had doubts that I was the right person for the job. Fanji would be so much better at this than me. He was used to speaking to large crowds of people as part of his duties to Saraf. He was amazingly good at it, too. If I could’ve picked him out of the crowd of people in front of me, I’d have hauled him up to stand next to me and speak to the Chosen in my place.

“_You’re doing fine, Edenlei. You understand me and have a rock solid understanding of the tenets of my faith. You are more than you give yourself credit for being. I believe in you, my beloved Anchorite,”_ Saraf said in my head.

I let out a slow breath, Saraf’s words and faith behind them calming my nerves and boosting my confidence. If he believed that I could do this, then I could. He was my god, the source of the holy fire that burned within me and an unshakeable pillar of strength for me to draw upon. He was also my husband and would support me always in achieving whatever I set out to do. I would not fail him or the faith and trust he placed in me.

The Chosen watched me, silent, as they waited for me to continue to speak. I wasn’t really sure what I was going to say next. I sent a quick prayer to Saraf for his guidance on what to say so I could carry out what he’d tasked me to do.

_“Speak from the heart, my Pearl. You will find the right words because they will be words of truth spoken from a place of love and faith.”_

Truthful words from the heart and faith. I could do that. They might not be the most eloquent speaker but one didn’t have to use fancy language to make a solid point. Frequently I found that plain speaking was more impactful than flowery words.

“When we are wronged by someone, we seek recourse through the law. Some of those laws have their foundation in the commands that Lord Saraf gave us. When it is a particularly serious crime we often seek guidance from Lord Saraf. Sometimes we even ask him to deal the punishment to the one found guilty if the wrong was particularly heinous. In this instance, it was not only me who was wronged, but Alycote Treanni and Lord Saraf himself. Botam’s attack on me, Lord Saraf’s husband, was an affront to Lord Saraf and the punishment needed to fit the crime. In addition to that, Botam stole the life of one of Saraf’s Chosen with his attack all in the name of satisfying whatever twisted reasoning Botam harboured in his mind.

“There isn’t a Chosen among us who doesn’t know that I am Lord Saraf’s husband. Not one of you can deny that you heard Lord Saraf say that I was his Pearl or claim that you didn’t know I had accepted his god-mark. All of you heard Lord Saraf say those things. All of you have seen his god-mark on my hand. All of you have also seen his dragon lord mark on my arm. Botam knew all that and saw the marks with his own eyes.

“I am undeniably Lord Saraf’s in a multitude of ways above even my serving him as a Geomancer and Anchorite. Each and every one of you knows that it is to seek out death to take what belongs to a god. It is essentially signing your own death warrant to take what a dragon has marked as his and all of you know that as well.

“Lord Saraf is dealing the justice he sees fit to his Chosen that defied him. They tainted his faith and were steering it from the course he wanted it to go. He’d even warned them before that their actions were contrary to what he wanted for his faith. He showed mercy to them before and they failed to take that mercy to heart. The consequence for those actions is entirely on them. One of those Chosen also tried very hard to kill me. He would’ve succeeded if I didn’t bear Lord Saraf’s god-mark. Lord Saraf is making an example of Botam, Keahi and Vanida and it would be in your best interests as one of Lord Saraf’s Chosen to remember just who and what he is.

“We all know Lord Saraf to be a loving, patient and fair god. But it seems that we’ve forgotten, or perhaps been made to forget, that he is also a dragon and it is never wise to provoke a dragon. It is extremely unwise to provoke someone who is both dragon and god. Botam, Keahi and Vanida did that and are now paying for their foolishness.

“Be faithful to Lord Saraf just as you always have and you will feel the warmth of his love and protection. Stray from that path and do what he has told you not and you will pay the consequences of your actions. Lord Saraf rightly said that he is done with showing mercy to those that would only throw that mercy back into his face.

“Lord Saraf offered all of you the choice before to renounce your faith in him if you felt in your soul that you could no longer worship him as you should. That choice is once more before you. He will not force any to stay and serve him that cannot do that with all their heart and soul. Should you choose to leave, you will not be punished for it. Think carefully though on your decision and what it’ll mean to you to suddenly have Lord Saraf withdraw that love, protection and power from you.”

I jumped down from the statue pedestal and hoped I hadn’t over-stepped myself with telling the Chosen that if they wished to renounce Saraf, they were free to do so. It had felt right to say it as the words were leaving my mouth but now I wondered if I’d spoken out of turn. I would accept whatever punishment Saraf decided on if I had said what I shouldn’t have and made a promise for him that he wouldn’t intend to keep.

No sooner had my feet touched the ground than Saraf appeared beside me and took my hand in his. He smiled at me before giving me a gentle kiss on the lips. He looked very pleased and a tiny trickle of relief slithered through me. It was one thing to be sassy with my husband, Saraf. It was something else entirely to presume to know the mind of my god and make promises for him to his Chosen without him having told me to do so.

“Geomancer Anchorite Edenlei speaks as I instructed him. He also speaks from the heart. Once again, I formally offer those of you who wish to leave my faith the opportunity to do so now. You will not be punished or harmed and I will bear you no ill will. However, all divine will that I have granted you will be stripped from you. I will no longer respond to your prayers regardless of why you’re praying to me, even if answering that prayer would be the difference between life and death for you. Renounce me and you lose all that I have given you.”

Saraf looked out over all his Chosen and waited. I clenched his hand a little tighter, nervous for him that more of his faithful would make the decision to leave. Saraf gave my hand a little squeeze and waited. Several minutes went by without anyone moving or making so much as a sound. The wait was nerve-wracking to me but Saraf seemed to be the epitome of calm. Undoubtedly, he knew how his Chosen would decide and wasn’t worried in the least about more leaving him. Or perhaps he saw it as further winnowing the chaff from his faith.

The crowd suddenly shuffled and parted, allowing Fanji to walk up to where Saraf and I stood. I knew without a shadow of a doubt that Fanji wasn’t stepping forward to renounce Saraf. He was faithful and devoted. He dropped to his knees, clasped his hands in prayer and gazed up at Saraf with adoration and surety in his eyes.

“I, Priest Fanji Paewr, do solemnly swear my life and loyalty to you, Lord Saraf, God of Primal Flame and Lord of Metallic Dragons. It is my duty and honour to carry out your will as one of your Chosen. Whatever you ask of me shall be done to the best of my abilities. I am yours to command to my last breath.”

I could’ve kissed Fanji for what he’d just done. He’d once more spoken his oath to serve Saraf, this time doing it directly to Saraf instead of swearing it to the blessed image as was usually the case when devoting your life to serving Saraf. I tugged my hand from Saraf’s, turned to face him and sank to my knees, clasping my hands like Fanji had done.

“I, Geomancer Anchorite Edenlei Pyregni, do solemnly swear my life and loyalty to you, Lord Saraf, God of Primal Flame and Lord of Metallic Dragons. It is my duty and honour to carry out your will as one of your Chosen. Whatever you ask of me shall be done to the best of my abilities. I am yours to command to my last breath.”

Saraf smiled at us, obviously pleased with our re-affirmation of our vows to him. He reached out to Fanji and touched a finger to Fanji’s forehead. Fanji cried out softly and tears suddenly welled in his eyes before spilling down his cheeks as the golden glow of a holy aura emanated from where Saraf touched him. It lasted only seconds and when Saraf drew back his hand, the glow faded quickly. Where Saraf had touched Fanji there was now a flickering flame glyph.

“I thank you for your past service to me and for renewing your vows to me. Rise, High Priest Fanji Paewr, and assume your place as one of my Chosen,” Saraf said.

Fanji gaped at Saraf for a second or two in stunned silence before getting to his feet and bowing deeply to Saraf. He moved to stand beside and slightly behind Saraf, his hands clasped in front of him. Fanji stared at me with joy in his eyes and I could tell that he wanted to shout and dance around to celebrate his sudden promotion up the Priest ranks. Saraf looked at me and instead of touching me as he had Fanji; he leaned down and kissed me soundly on the lips. I was very much okay with that sign of his approval and acceptance of my vows to him.

“I thank you for your past service to me and for renewing your vows to me. Rise, Geomancer Anchorite Edenlei Pyrengi, and assume your place as one of my Chosen. I am honoured to have you at my side as my husband, Edenlei Pyrengi, Pearl of Saraf the Platinum Sun,” he said as he drew me to my feet and kissed me soundly again.

One by one the Chosen moved forward to kneel at Saraf’s feet and renew their vows of fealty to Saraf. It was a very moving display to me of the love and faith of Saraf’s Chosen. I was sure it was very moving for Saraf as well. It took a good bit of time for Saraf to personally receive all of the renewal of vows from his Chosen but he did it. A few received promotions and the surprise and joy on their faces was beautiful to see.

“I thank all of you for re-affirming your faith and devotion to me. In return I make a vow to my Chosen as well. I will not be an absent god. I have always heard your prayers but not responded as frequently as I should have. I am sorry for that and I swear to you that I will not do that again. You give me your love and faith and are owed mine in return. I will once more give you the original writings of my faith and guide all of you back to the path I’d initially set for my followers.

“The punishment Priest Keahi and Priest Vanida are enduring will continue. I do not require any of you to watch their punishment unless you choose to do so. Their live cremation is purely for my satisfaction in seeing them soundly rebuked for their part in the attempt on Geomancer Edenlei’s life, as futile as that effort was, and for the senseless death of Alycote Treyanni who was innocent and a victim of their twisted plans.”

No sooner had Saraf finished speaking than Lord Rai-Sui appeared and started walking toward us. I’d only seen him once before so I likely wasn’t the best judge of his expressions, but he looked very, very annoyed. I would even go so far as to say he looked angry. I had no idea why he was mad but an angry god was never a good thing to be around regardless of who that god was.

“Saraf, you’ve destroyed Botam’s soul and are in the process of destroying two more souls. I assume you have a very good reason for doing that. Actually, you’d better have a damn good reason for doing that as creating new souls is a taxing process for me, which I know you’re aware of,” Lord Rai-Sui said as he stood in front of Saraf.

“Botam’s soul was beyond saving and I know you were aware of that, but it was not your place to destroy it. I’ve halted the destruction of the other two souls and unless there is an absolutely stellar reason for you attempting to destroy those souls as well, we’re going to have some unpleasantness between us in the next few minutes.”

Unpleasantness between gods? That sounded like it would be bad. Possibly world-destroying bad. Lord Rai-Sui was definitely very, very angry. I knew Saraf was incredibly powerful but I worried that he could be hurt if a fight started between him and Lord Rai-Sui. I was also very worried about what would happen to the Chosen standing around Saraf if two gods started to throw power around. I was utterly sure Saraf would try to protect his Chosen but I doubted dividing his attention as far as protection between himself and his Chosen went would be a good idea. It might actually be a fatal thing for him to do.

“Botam tried to kill Edenlei less than an hour ago. Keahi and Vanida, despite the punishment they were subject to at the time, gave Botam what little power they could to try to help him do that. For aiding Botam, as useless as that was, I want them utterly destroyed. I need nothing of them to remain. Edenlei is my Pearl. I told you that myself. For daring to try to kill him they must be utterly destroyed. Body and soul.

“Additionally, in the attempt to kill Edenlei, the spell they set off killed one of my Chosen that was with Edenlei at the time. None of that is a forgivable crime to me. I will not tolerate that sort of abuse of the divine will I give my Chosen for their service to me,” Saraf said in a tone that very clearly said there would be no changing his position on that.

Lord Rai-Sui was silent for several very long, tense minutes. He seemed to be listening to something only he could hear. He finally inclined his head in a short nod to Saraf. Saraf relaxed the smallest amount and the tightness in Lord Rai-Sui’s shoulders eased.

“I will stay here to watch over the souls as they burn to nothing from your primal flames. They are owed that much and it is both my duty and right to do so. This is not a precedence for you to do as you will to souls, Saraf. Should something happen in the future where you feel there is just cause to destroy a soul, call for me and I will handle that aspect if I believe it is warranted. This is your one free pass on matters like this.

“I understand the desire to have the souls suffer given what they’ve done to you, Edenlei and your other Chosen, but what you’re doing to them is as nothing compared to what I can do to make a soul suffer before being destroyed. Nor can you keep that soul suffering for as long as I can. I am the Guardian of Souls. While I am primarily a guide and protector of souls, I also determine what souls can continue to travel the Great Wheel and which need to be removed for the good of all,” Lord Rai-Sui said in a very firm tone that clearly said anyone would be foolish to question him.

“You have my word that I’ll not take into my own hands the punishment of any souls in the future. Thank you for allowing what I started to continue,” Saraf said with a formal, short bow. “Should you need anything, simply ask one of my Chosen and they will do their best to get you whatever you need or want.”

Lord Rai-Sui nodded at Saraf and walked into the temple, likely to go watch over the souls of Keahi and Vanida. Saraf took my hand and drew me close to him before kissing me lightly on the lips. When he drew back, he smiled at me, an incredible amount of love in his eyes before he turned to face his Chosen.

“I will return to the Great Hall to watch Keahi and Vanida suffer their final torment. Should any of you wish to talk to me, please don’t hesitate to approach. I have deposited the original texts of my Word in the library here so you can begin the process of copying the texts once more. I know it is a lengthy and time-consuming process but I believe it is also the best way for my true Words to be engraved into your hearts. Each of you will copy my Word into a text of your own as I believe this will aid you in learning what I intended from the very beginning for my faith.

“I have promoted some of you today. It pains me to know that many of you worked tirelessly, giving yourself into my service yet were never rewarded as you should’ve been by promotions to positions with greater responsibilities because of political manoeuvring by some of the people holding power in my faith. You all have my word that ends now. Movement through the ranks is to be based on performance and merit and I will be the one to make that final decision.

“It has been brought to my attention that there are a few of you that are enjoying elevated positions that you didn’t earn. With that being the case, you will be removed from said positions. I will not stop you from working hard to regain that place in my faith again. You will need to work very hard to prove to me that you deserve to be where you once were.”

Saraf raised my hand to his lips and kissed the god-mark on the back of my hand as he mentally told me he loved me. He let go of my hand, turned and walked into the Great Hall. Fanji still stood near and moved close once Saraf headed off.

“So what now?” Fanji asked in a low voice.

I shrugged. “Go look at the original Words? Go back to whatever we’d been doing before all this happened? Watch people suffer through live cremation? I honestly don’t know. Lord Saraf didn’t give specific instructions that I’m aware of.”

“Can you ask? Everybody is sort of just milling around like lost children,” Fanji said as he looked over the crowd of Chosen that appeared unsure of what they were to do now.

“Is it my place to ask? I mean, I can ask what _I_ should be doing but my position in the faith isn’t one where I get to tell others what Saraf wants them to do. At least I don’t think it does. I need to read up on just what an Anchorite’s duties to Lord Saraf are. There hasn’t been one in ages to the best of my knowledge. It’s not exactly a glamorous, powerful position if I’m remembering correctly. More study and contemplative than anything I believe.”

“Good point. I just thought that since you’ve obviously got a very intimate place in Lord Saraf’s life, you’d probably get the fastest response from him.”

“There is my relationship to Lord Saraf as his Geomancer and Anchorite, which is one thing. My relationship with Saraf as his husband is something completely different and has nothing to do with being one of his Chosen. It would be unfair of me to use my position as his spouse to get extra attention and guidance from him as one of his Chosen. Or at least I see it that way.”

“Fair enough. Well, let’s see what my shiny new title gets me as far as guidance from Lord Saraf goes. Somebody has to step up and get people moving and there’s no reason it can’t be me, right?” Fanji said with a grin.

I laughed and nodded. I’d always thought Fanji would make an excellent High Priest. He bowed his head, clasped his hands and prayed. In under two minutes, he lifted his head and stared out at the crowd of Chosen, a look of purpose coming over his face. When he spoke, his voice boomed out, catching the attention of the entire crowd of faithful.

“I have prayed to Lord Saraf for guidance in what he demands of us as his Chosen right now. He bids all of us to bring him an offering suitable to the renewal of our vows to him. Once he has received your offering he will instruct you on your new task for him. Rebuilding his faith will take time and many of us will find unlearning what we believed to be his Word, hard. He has faith in us that we will rise to the task.

“Do not be shy to pray to him for guidance and strength. He is our god and it is his duty to guide us to find the strength within ourselves and lend us his power when necessary to do his will and aid others. Lord Saraf’s faith is in disarray and he is relying on us to put things right with his guidance.”

The gathering of Saraf’s Chosen slowly broke up, people heading off in all directions now that they had instructions as to what Saraf wanted from them. Fanji grinned at me and headed off in the direction of the distillery. He had a true gift for blending according to the Chosen who worked in the distillery. I had no idea if that was true or not as just two drinks would make me very tipsy. Three drinks would have me falling-down-drunk. I’d never made it to four drinks without passing out. Fanji said that I was a cheap date because of that and I couldn’t really argue the point.

I closed my eyes and concentrated on Saraf. I wasn’t trying to speak to him or praying to him. He’d commanded his Chosen to find him an offering worthy of renewing our vows to him. Regardless of being his husband I was still one of his Chosen and needed to follow his edicts just as any other Chosen would. I concentrated on Saraf and what would please him.

Something tugged at my senses. I opened my eyes and turned slowly until I faced the direction that I felt the strongest pull. Something near the ocean called to me. I walked with purpose towards the beach hoping that I wasn’t going to have to go for a swim again. I liked swimming just fine but I didn’t feel like doing it now with the sun going down and evening on the way. Swimming in the ocean after dark, especially alone, was just asking for trouble in my opinion. The ocean could be very unforgiving of the foolish or ill-prepared that braved its waters.

The tide was out as I walked along the beach. I followed the subtle tugging on my senses, walking further down the beach than I’d ever gone before. Granted, I hadn’t explored our new island home very much as things in my life had been fairly hectic lately but I had walked along the beach several times since our arrival on our new island home.

The further I walked from the limits of the city, the rockier the coastline became until cliffs easily three times my height dominated the land. The beach was barely more than a footpath, the sand having long given away to water-smoothed rocks. There appeared to be high water marks on the cliffs a good eight feet above what was currently dry land.

The sensation on my geomancer senses pulled me further along until I came to a narrow slit in the rock face. It urged me into the crevice so I went. The passage was cramped but short and angled slightly up hill. I called up what I hoped would be a small ball of flame to light the murky gloom. It was a bigger ball than I intended but that was a good thing as the passage opened into a water-carved cavern a good fifty feet in diameter that had me sucking in a sharp breath at the natural beauty.

The ceiling was about twenty feet high and there was a hole in the ceiling roughly thirty feet around. I could just barely make out the shadowy outlines of trees ringing the edge of the hole. What I assumed was moss hung down from the edge of the rim. The floor of the cave was soft black sand. It sloped up to the back of the cave, changing from sand to rock about halfway.

I urged my flame ball higher and a startled sound escaped me when the walls near the ceiling exploded into rainbow colours that sparkled and dazzled. Quartz was embedded in the rock, bursting into coloured light when the flames shone on them. Tiny flowers dotted ledges near the top and the cave had the scent of the sea and land mixed into a pleasing, subtle aroma. The air inside was a little cooler than what was usually felt on the island but it was a welcome coolness that felt good against the skin. The sound of gentle waves and the cries of birds could be faintly heard. It was a beautiful, serene secret spot for Saraf to enjoy.

A blush heated my cheeks when I thought of Saraf standing in the cave, nude and erect while I knelt at his feet and worshipped his cock with my mouth. Or better still, as he filled me while seated on a throne like the statue that I used to secretly rub my ass against in the garden of his former temple. The very naughty image refused to leave my brain and in very short order transformed itself into the mental image of doing that very same thing with Saraf in this beautiful place. I was utterly sure Saraf would love that as the capstone of my gift to him for accepting my renewed vows to him.

I still didn’t have the fine control of the elements that I used to have so I couldn’t do anything beyond the most basics of stone shaping. But, for what I intended, basic stone shaping would be enough. My now ridiculous level of power should allow me to easily shape something rudimentary in minutes instead of the often taxing effort to shape stone into something it didn’t want to be.

I moved closer to the back of the cave and scanned the rock formations for something that was already close to the shape I needed the stone to be. There was no point in making things more difficult for myself than they had be. I called up what I thought was enough power to quickly shape the stone and set to work.

The stone groaned and shuddered and tried to resist what I wanted it to do. I was not going to be denied nor was I interested in gently but firmly coaxing the stone into another shape. It would be what I needed it to be for Saraf. In moments I had the basic shape I wanted. It was jagged, uneven and most definitely not suitable for anyone to sit upon. Another five minutes of effort had the sharp edges smoothed and levelled and I now had a still somewhat rough throne for my god. It wasn’t the most elegant thing but it was the size I needed and should be reasonably comfortable for Saraf to sit on. It would do until I could spend more time shaping it into something that would please us both.

_“Lord Saraf, I wish to give you my offering for the renewal of my vows to you. Regrettably, it is far too large for me to bring to you and it is a time sensitive thing as well because of its location. I understand that you are busy conducting your punishment of the Chosen, but I beg of you to spare me just a few moments of your time so I may present you with my offering.”_

_“I am never too busy for you, my Pearl,”_ Saraf said with affection in his mental voice seconds before he appeared beside me.

I bowed and dropped to my knees before Saraf. “I know this isn’t a typical sort of offering but this place called to me when I searched for something suitable to give you as part of my renewal vows. The entrance from the ocean is under water partially or fully most of the time due to the tides and size of the opening. I was only able to find it now because it’s low tide. The opening in the ceiling has trees ringing it and you likely wouldn’t even know it’s there until you were right at the lip. I don’t know how high the water gets inside but there’s probably several feet worth when the tide is high. I thought it a beautiful place you’d enjoy on its own merits.

“I’d also hoped you’d enjoy sharing this place with me as your husband. You probably know about my rubbing myself against a statue of you seated on a throne in the former garden of your temple. I thought we’d both enjoy recreating that sort of thing here. If you wanted to. It doesn’t have to be now as I know you have other things to attend to that are more pressing, but making love with you here is also part of my offering to you.”

Saraf’s expression was a mix of pride, joy and lust when I looked up at him. He pulled me to him and kissed me hard. I returned his kiss with all the love I felt for him as both my god and husband. Need and lust twisted through me at feeling his erection pressing against mine. I made a small sound of disappointment when he drew back from the arousing kiss. He sighed regretfully and I knew that duty was going to take precedence over what we both wanted right at that very moment. Sometimes being so responsible and duty-bound sucked massively.

“This is a wonderful gift, Edenlei. I’d love to be able to ravish you here for hours right now but I need to see to the final punishment of my wayward Priests. I know you understand that and I’m grateful for your understanding. In lieu of what we’d both like, this will have to do for now,” Saraf said as our clothes suddenly vanished and he gripped our cocks together in his dragon hand.

I grabbed onto his shoulders, my knees suddenly weak as he began jerking us off together. Gods, that felt amazing. I tipped my face up to his, my unspoken demand for his kiss easily understood by him. He grinned at me, cupped the back of my head and sealed his lips to mine. His tongue demanded entrance and I eagerly opened to him.

_“We don’t have a lot of time so I’m going to hurry this along. I don’t think either of us will mind terribly though,”_ Saraf said with amusement and lust in his mental voice as he kissed me senseless.

Pulses of Saraf’s power entered me, small and slow at first but increasing in intensity with every surge. In an embarrassingly short period of time I was moaning and squirming in his hold, the need to come building quickly as he filled me in a metaphysical way with his power as a god and dragon. I adored not only that but that Saraf understood how much pleasure I got from being filled by him. Despite not having the luxury of time to really fill me as we’d both prefer, he’d found an alternate solution to really please me, which, in turn, pleased him.

_“Come for me, my wondrous Pearl. I want to see and feel your pleasure before I find mine,”_ Saraf said in a desire heavy voice.

_“I love you, Saraf. With everything I am, I love you,”_ I said as I let my orgasm roll through me.

Saraf growled low in his throat as my cock began spurting. He followed me to orgasm bare seconds later and I moaned into his mouth at not only the feel of his cock pulsing against my now sensitive dick but the almost hot splash of his seed as it splattered over our bellies. I would’ve never, in a thousand years, guessed that I would enjoy the feel of spunk spurting over my skin. It made desire and satisfaction swirl through me to feel our seed coat my skin. Saraf drew back from the kiss and looked at me with a wealth of love that made me feel gloriously full in another way.

“You are delicious temptation and I really don’t want to leave here without fully appreciating your gift to me but duty calls. I do, however, have the glimmerings of an idea for this place and how to claim the rest of your gift to me in a way we’ll both adore.”

Intense heat suddenly washed over me and I turned my head to look at the narrow entrance to the cave. Molten rock now glowed orange-red at the opening as the two sides melted together from the top down. The liquid rock hissed and bubbled as it touched the water, solidifying quickly. In under a minute the entrance was sealed, the molten rock quickly cooling as Saraf withdrew his flame. Saraf had a satisfied look on his face and I wondered what he was up to.

“I’ve left the entrance under the water open so the pool in here won’t stagnate but it also won’t fill the cave as it probably did when the tide was high and the full entrance was open. The opening in the roof is fine as I doubt many would want to drop that distance into an unknown hole in the ground. This is a lovely, private place I intend to ravish you frequently in.”

Saraf gestured and a small fire flared to life in an alcove. There was no wood or tinder or even a shred of soggy seaweed but the fire burned because Saraf willed it.

“Should you want to come here ahead of time, step through any flame and think of where you wish to be like I taught you and the fire will be your portal to this place. Now, before I’m more temped than I already am to stay here and indulge us both, we should leave. I’ll bring you back to the temple with me as I’m sure you’ve other work to be doing.”

I nodded and Saraf gestured, cleaning up both of us of our seed and clothing us again. One moment we were in the lovely cavern and the next we were in the main hall of the temple. Rai-Sui sat on a throne in front of the two remaining Priests, watching them as they were cremated alive. He nodded his head at me when he saw me but remained where he was. Saraf kissed me on the forehead and gave me a little push, knowing that I had no stomach to stay and watch the Priests meet their end no matter how well deserved.

“Go. There is much work to be done to restore my faith to what it was always supposed to be. Even you, my Pearl, must learn what I’d always intended for my followers.”

“As you will it, Lord Saraf,” I said with a deep bow. “I am ever yours to command.”

“I have never doubted your faith in me or your fealty to me, Geomancer Anchorite Edenlei. You have always been a brightly burning fire of godly devotion to me. I am honoured to have you as one of my Chosen.”

The heat of a blush from the praise of my god warmed my cheeks. Saraf reached out and caressed my cheek with his dragon hand. I couldn’t help myself as I leaned into the touch.

_“You do me the even greater honour of bearing my god-mark as my husband and loving all of me; god and dragon. For that soul-deep joy you’ve given me I give you my eternal love as a dragon and the fire of my godly devotion as your husband. I will love you to the end of time, Edenlei, and nothing will ever dim or change that.”_

Incredible warmth and happiness suffused me at his words. I knew from the very bottom of my soul that he loved me. It was still wildly thrilling to hear him say it and I knew that I’d never, ever get tired of hearing that from him.

_“I love you, too, Saraf. In every moment that I exist, I will love you, Nothing will ever stop me from loving you,”_ I said as I reached for his hands, turned them palms up, brought them to my lips and placed a kiss in the center of each palm.

Saraf’s smile was glorious and I was sure it was mirrored on my face as we stared at each other. I’d never dared to dream that I’d be as happy as I was right now. Or that my most secret fantasy of being intimate with Saraf would come true. Or that I’d have the unshakeable love of Saraf as my husband for the rest of eternity. I was most definitely blessed.

_“Go. Now. If you continue to stand in front of me with such a look of love and devotion in your eyes and the utterly deliciously scent of rising desire coming from you, I’m going to throw all my responsibilities to the wind, take you home and make love to you until neither of us can move. Considering that I not only have the stamina of a god but that of a dragon as well, that will take the entire night and possibly all of the following day as well. I don’t think you’re quite up to that. Yet.”_

_“I’m completely willing to immediately begin working up to having the stamina for that. I’d go so far as to say I’m very eager for it. But you have duty to your faith that needs to be attended to right now and that must be seen to before either of our personal wants are satisfied. Call for me when you’re finished here and we can go home to start building my stamina in order to please us both,”_ I said, releasing his hands and stepping back from him. _“I believe we’ll both enjoy those training sessions very, very much.”_

Saraf laughed, kissed me quickly on the lips, tipped his head at me, turned and went back to the throne he’d created to watch his Priests burn in punishment. I left the main hall with a smile on my face and a spring in my step as I thought of what would happen later tonight once both our duties to Saraf’s faith were done.

Life was good and far better than I ever dreamed it could be.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you've enjoyed reading this story and the Divine Worship World. There will be more stories with different gods and their lovers posted as I complete writing them.


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